San Diego Region – Site Restoration and Groundwater Protection Branch

Mission

The mission of the Site Restoration and Groundwater Protection Branch is to ensure timely and effective regional compliance with requirements for investigation, cleanup and abatement of groundwater pollution caused by unauthorized releases of hazardous substances from storage and conveyance systems, discharges of solid and liquid wastes to land, and effective regulation of discharges of recycled/reclaimed wastewater; thereby supporting the mission of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Structure and Regulatory Programs

The Site Restoration and Groundwater Protection Branch is under the general direction of the Branch Chief (Supervising Engineering Geologist). The Branch is subdivided into four regulatory units, each supervised by either a Senior Engineering Geologist or Senior Water Resource Control Engineers. These regulatory units are responsible for the local administration of nine statewide water quality regulatory programs, as outline to the right.

General Waste Discharge Requirements

The State Water Resources Control Board and San Diego Water Board have adopted several orders prescribing general waste discharge requirements (General Orders). The Site Restoration and Groundwater Protection Branch administers the following statewide and regional General Orders.

• Statewide General Orders (adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board).
  1. Order No. 2003-0003-DWQ: Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for Discharges to Land with a Low Threat to Water Quality.
  2. Order No. 2004-0012-DWQ: General Waste Discharge Requirements for the Discharge of Biosolids to Land for Use as a Soil Amendment in Agricultural, Silvicultural, Horticultural, and Land Reclamation Activities.
  3. Order WQ 2014-0153-DWQ: General Waste Discharge Requirements for Small Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems.
  4. Order WQ 2016-0068-DDW: Water Reclamation Requirements for Recycled Water Use.
  5. Order WQ 2021-0002-DWQ: General Waste Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water.
• Regional General Orders (adopted by the San Diego Water Board).
  1. General Order No. R9-2002-0342: Waste Discharge Requirements for the Disposal and/or Reuse of Petroleum Fuel Contaminated Soils in the San Diego Region.
  2. General Order No. R9-2008-0081: Waste Discharge Requirements of in-situ Groundwater Remediation Projects within the San Diego Region.
  3. General Order No. R9-2008-0130: Waste Discharge Requirements for Existing Dairy Animal Feeding Operations in the San Diego Region.
  4. General Order No. R9-2008-0138: Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges of Treated Groundwater from Volatile Organic Compound Cleanup Sites to Land in the San Diego Region.
  5. General Order No. R9-2024-0001: Conditional Waivers of Waste Discharge Requirements for Low Threat Discharges in the San Diego Region. (Conditional Waivers Overview)