Wastewater Permitting

    The Central Coast Water Board regulates waste discharges to protect surface water and groundwater using Waste Discharge Requirements permits (WDRs) and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.

    Adopted Orders, Permits,
    Resolutions, and Settlements     Types of Wastewater
    Permitting     Application/ Report of
    Waste Discharge (Form 200)     Designation of Duly Authorized
    Representative Form     State-Wide Winery Permit
    Guidance Document     Self-Monitoring Report
    Cover Sheet     Storm Preparedness Information
    and Resources

      Announcements

    • Be ready! Be prepared! In preparation for the upcoming storm season, Central Coast Water Board staff have complied a summary of requirements, storm preparedness resources to share with your community, sewage spill reporting requirements, and other valuable resources under the Storm Preparedness Information and Resources section of our webpage.
    • For a summary of storm related reporting requirements for facilities enrolled in General Permit R3-2020-0020 or General Permit WQ 2014-0153-DWQ, review the attached summary.
    • Central Coast Wastewater Funding Fair: The Central Coast Water Board hosted a virtual wastewater funding fair in coordination with the Division of Financial Assistance (DFA). The event occurred on December 13th, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM. DFA provides grants and/or low interest loans for water quality projects through the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). See the flyer for more information.

      Permit Application to Discharge Less than 100,000 GPD of Domestic Wastewater (Central Coast Region)

    • Permit Application
    • Application questions (for reference only, updated on 1/10/2022). It is strongly recommended to review the application questions ahead of time.
    • Instructions to apply
      • This permit application must be complete in one sitting (the application cannot be saved) and will take about 30-45 minutes to complete if you have reviewed the questions ahead of time. It is strongly recommended to review the application questions ahead of time.
      • Applicants must begin at the top of this form and complete every question for the form to be considered complete.

      Payments for WDR Application Fee

    1. Make a check, money order, or cashier check payable to the “State Water Resources Control Board.”
    2. Write “WDR App. Fee” on the check, money order, or cashier check.
    3. Attach a copy of the Form 200 or Notice of Intent (NOI) cover page. This will ensure the check is logged for the correct facility.
    4. Payments should be sent to:

    Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
    Attention: WDR Program (include staff person, if known)
    895 Aerovista Suite 101
    San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

    Note: Your application fee is also your first annual fee.

      State Board's Wastewater Operator Certification Program or Operator Certification

    Wastewater Operator Certification program (WWOCP)

    Forms:

    Wastewater Treatment Plant Classification

      Storm Preparedness Information and Resources

    Be ready! Be prepared! In preparation for the upcoming storm season, Central Coast Water Board staff have summarized storm preparedness information and resources including CalWarn (have you registered?), sewage spill reporting requirements, and other valuable resources available to you. Preparation for protection of critical infrastructure saves lives and protects our precious water resources.

    Operation Critical —Spill Reporting Requirements
    State Law requires that an unauthorized discharge of sewage [as defined in 23 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 2250 (b)] into or onto waters of the State must be reported to Cal OES immediately, regardless of the volume spilled. In addition, if you have a sewage spill exceeding 1,000 gallons, you must immediately:

    For a summary of storm related reporting requirements for facilities enrolled in General Permit R3-2020-0020, General Permit WQ 2014-0153-DWQ, or an individual permit review the attached summary.

    If you have a facility that is permitted by a general permit that is not listed above, please contact Central Coast Water Board staff for more information on how to report sewage spills.


    Mutual Aid
    CalWARN – Register ASAP The mission of the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN) is to support and promote statewide emergency preparedness, disaster response, and mutual assistance processes for public and private water and wastewater utilities. The new CalWARN Web Portal expands Signatory Utility’s (or participating entities) ability to achieve agency, regional and state preparedness by providing new tools and proven practices that can enhance readiness while providing daily value to your organization and customers. For information on CalWarn’s Articles of Agreement, review https://www.calwarn.org/.

    FREE Flood Preparedness Resource
    The California Department of Water Resources has created an excellent website for local agencies to share with their community in preparing for flooding in and around their homes. The California Flood Preparedness Week is observed October 21-28, 2023.

    Disaster Mitigation Funding opportunities available:

      GeoTracker

    Geotracker Letter Announcement: All domestic, industrial, and fertilizer/pesticide facilities must report to the Geotracker Database starting November 1, 2023.

    GeoTracker is the State Board and Regional Water Board’s Internet-accessible database system used to track regulatory compliance data. GeoTracker contains records for the following sites.

    All information and records uploaded to GeoTracker are available to the public by accessing the Public GeoTracker Page. For dischargers required to submit Self-Monitoring Reports (SMRs), a login must be created through the GeoTracker Electronic Submittal of Information Page.

    For questions pertaining to GeoTracker access and usage, dischargers can consult the State Water Board’s FAQ or contact the GeoTracker HelpDesk at geotracker@waterboards.ca.gov or (866)-480-1028.

    Getting Started Links for Responsible Parties (Dischargers):

      Contact Us

    Contact WDR staff:

    Contact NPDES staff (discharge to surface water):

      Related Links