The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year  2016-17 

REGULATE: NPDES WASTEWATER

MEASUREMENTS  - Data Last Updated on: 03-27-2018 (11:15 am)

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

General NPDES permits are used broadly across the state, with the majority of permitted facilities regulated under a general wastewater NPDES permit are located in the San Francisco Bay Region (Region 2), the Los Angeles Region (Region 4), and the Central Valley Region (Region 5). As of the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2016-17, 1223 facilities that are regulated under a general wastewater NPDES permit are considered current (89 percent) as the permit has been updated within the last five years. As of June 30, 2017, 156 facilities are operating under permits past their expiration/review date (i.e., not updated). The permit backlog remains to be addressed and may represent an additional workload for FY 2016-17. The permit backlog varies among the Regional Water Boards, however more than 90 percent of facilities in the North Coast Region (Region 1), San Francisco Bay region (Region 2), Los Angeles Region (Region 4), and Central Valley Region (Region 5) are operating under current general NPDES permits.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

In order to ensure that discharges to surface waters do not adversely affect the quality and beneficial uses of such waters, NPDES permits must be reviewed and revised to reflect new standards and requirements (such as new TMDLs and other water quality plans and policies adopted) and updates to monitoring and reporting requirements (reflecting previous facility performance and compliance history). NPDES permits expire five years after issuance and are required to be reissued (i.e., renewed) every five years or less (40 CFR Part 122.46 and California Water Code section 13380). Typically, permit requirements remain in effect until the permit is reissued, however NPDES permits may also be revoked or terminated. Revising and reissuing permits for minor facilities requires a significant amount of time and resources, and is considered a good indicator of overall program performance.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Data Source: CIWQS. Period July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.
• Unit of Measure: Number of active facilities enrolled under an NPDES general permit as of June 30, 2017.
• Data Definitions: New enrollees issued during FY 16-17: effective date between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Current enrollees: not expired and not issued in FY 16-17.
• References: Information on the Water Boards' NPDES Program
  Public Reports and Data

GLOSSARY

General Facility

A general facility is a discharge with a design flow of less than one million gallons per day (MGD) that has not been determined to have an actual or potential adverse environmental impact classifying the discharge as major.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

The NPDES permit program (CWA Section 402) controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. US EPA has approved the Water Board's program to issue NPDES permits.

NPDES Permit

The Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging "pollutants" through a "point source" into a "water of the United States" unless they have an NPDES permit. The permit contains limits on what can be discharged, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to protect water quality and public health. In essence, the permit translates general requirements of the Clean Water Act into specific provisions tailored to the operations of each person discharging pollutants.

( Page last updated:  11/15/17 )