The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2010-11

REGULATE: WASTE DISCHARGES TO LAND - WDR

GROUP:

INDUSTRIAL WASTE WDR FACILITIES

MEASURE:

NUMBER OF PERMITS ADOPTED OR RENEWED
NUMBER OF PERMITS PAST RENEWAL DATE AS OF END OF FISCAL YEAR 2010-11

MESSAGE:

59% of the Industrial permits are current.

MEASUREMENTS - Data Last Updated on:

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

The number of facilities with a permit past the review date is relatively high compared to the total number of industrial facilities regulated under the program. Only 59% of the permits for industrial facilities have been reviewed/updated in accordance within the recommended frequency. Although 364 (compared to 374 in FY 08-09 and 485 in FY 09-10) permits need to be renewed, only 12 permits were reissued during fiscal year 10-11. The backlog of expired permits varies among the different regional boards. Industrial facilities enrolled under a general permit are not considered past expiration date.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) are issued for the duration of the discharge and do not contain an expiration date. Regional Boards are authorized to review WDRs periodically pursuant to Section 13263(e) of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. The State Legislature has found that many WDRs are out of date and therefore do not reflect existing laws, regulations, and revised Water Quality Control Plans. The Water Boards recommend that WDRs be reviewed on a frequency of five, ten or fifteen years, based on the discharger’s Threat to Water Quality (TTWQ). WDRs that have not been reviewed/updated are considered to be backlogged. This measure describes the workload associated with existing permits.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Data Source: CIWQS. Period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Extracted on July 27, 2011.
Unit of Measure: Number of active facilities discharging industrial waste regulated with waste discharge requirements during FY 10-11.
Data Definitions: Permits issued during FY 10-11: effective date between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. Permits Current: permits not expired and not issued in FY 10-11. Permits Expired: permits with an expiration date before June 30, 2011.
References: More information on the Water Boards’ WDR program is available at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/land_disposal/waste_discharge_requirements.shtml
Public reports and data are available at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/ciwqs/publicreports.shtml
Information about Onsite Waste Water Treatment Systems is available at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/index.shtml

GLOSSARY

Industrial Sources: Facilities that treat and/or dispose of liquid or semisolid wastes from any servicing, producing, manufacturing or processing operations of whatever nature including mining, gravel washing, geothermal operations, air conditioning, ship building and repairing, oil production, storage and disposal operations, and water well pumping.
Waste Discharge Requirements Program: The Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Program regulates all point source discharges of waste to land that do not require full containment (which falls under the Land Discharge Program), or are not subject to the NPDES Program.

( Page last updated: 9/19/11 )