The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2008-09
REGULATE: WASTE DISCHARGES TO LAND - NON15 |
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GROUP: |
MUNICIPAL WASTE NON15 FACILITIES |
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MEASURE: |
NUMBER OF PERMITS ADOPTED OR RENEWED NUMBER OF PERMITS PAST RENEWAL DATE |
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MESSAGE: |
Approximately 50% of the permits are renewed within the recommended frequency. |
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KEY STATISTICS FOR FY 2008-09 |
Number of Active Facilities |
1,685 |
Number of Permits Renewed |
31 |
Number of Permits Expired |
825 |
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MEASUREMENTS
WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING
The number of municipal waste facilities with a permit past the the recommended review date is relatively high compared to total number of municipal wastewater facilities regulated under the program. Although 825 permits need to be reviewed, only 31 permits were reissued during fiscal year 08-09. The backlog of unreviewed permits varies among the different regional boards.
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 The State Legislature has found that many WDRs are out of date and therefore do not reflect existing laws, regulations, and revised Water Quality Control Plans.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
GLOSSARY
- Municipal Sources
- Facilities that treat sewage or a mixture of predominantly sewage and other waste from districts, municipalities, communities, hospitals, schools, and publicly or privately owned systems (excluding individual surface leaching systems disposing of less than 1,000 gallons per day).
- Waste Discharge Requirements-NON15 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.