Enforcement

Compliance and Enforcement

The State Water Resources Control Board and its nine Regional Water Quality Control have primary responsibility to protect the waters of the State by ensuring compliance with water quality laws, regulations, policies, and plans, and taking enforcement actions when violations occur. The California Water Code grants the Water Boards the authority to implement and enforce any activities that may affect the quality of the waters of the state.

Access to information on violations, enforcement actions, and Mandatory Minimum Penalties (MMPs) on a real-time basis is available to the public from the State Water Resources Control Board internet webpage.

CIWQS Public Reports portal provides a summary of violations, enforcement reports, and facility reports.

Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)

Introduction

The State Water Board’s 2017 SEP Policy defines Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) as environmentally beneficial projects that a discharger voluntarily agrees to undertake in the settlement of an administrative civil liability (ACL).  The SEP offsets a portion of the monetary penalty. The Regional Water Board supports the inclusion of SEPs in the settlement of an enforcement action, so long as these projects meet the criteria specified in the SEP Policy to ensure that the selected projects have environmental value, further the enforcement goals and other important policies of the Water Boards and are subject to appropriate input and oversight by the Water Boards.

Active and Completed SEPs

Lists of active and completed SEPs are available on the Office of Enforcement’s SEP webpage.

Submitting Ideas for Potential SEPs

The Regional Board is currently seeking proposals for potential SEPs.  Any public or private party that (a) can receive and distribute funds and (b) has the ability to complete the work, may submit a SEP proposal.  Please go to the Office of Enforcement’s SEP webpage and review  the Supplemental Environmental Projects FAQ document before writing your proposal.  Proposals should be submitted using the Water Board SEP Proposal Form.

The Regional Board accepts new proposals on a continuous basis and updates the list of potential SEPs periodically.  The current list of potential projects is found at:

For more information about Colorado River Basin Water Board Enforcement Actions, contact:

Cassandra Owens, Assistant Executive Officer
73-720 Fred Waring Dr., Suite 100
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 346-2612
Cassandra.owens@waterboards.ca.gov