State Board - Cannabis Cultivation Water Quality

Overview

On October 17, 2017, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted the Cannabis Cultivation Policy- Principles and Guideline for Cannabis Cultivation (Cannabis Policy) and the General Waste Discharge Requirements and Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges of Waste Associated with Cannabis Cultivation Activities (Cannabis Cultivation General Order). On February 5, 2019, the State Water Board adopted the proposed updates to the Cannabis Policy and Cannabis Cultivation General Order. On April 16, 2019, the Office of Administrative Law approved the updates to the Cannabis Policy.

The Cannabis Policy will be implemented through the Cannabis Small Irrigation Use Registration (Cannabis SIUR) Program and the Cannabis Cultivation General Order. Compliance with the Cannabis Policy is required to obtain a license from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) under its CalCannabis Licensing Program.

Cannabis Cultivation General Order

The Cannabis Cultivation General Order implements the Cannabis Policy requirements; specifically, those requirements that address waste discharges associated with cannabis cultivation activities.

Once an online application is submitted and the applicable fee is paid, a Notice of Applicability (NOA) will be issued to the enrollee by the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The amended Cannabis Policy, Cannabis Cultivation General Order, and adopted documents effective as of April 16, 2019:

• Resolution No. 2019-0007, Adopting the Updates to the Cannabis Cultivation Policy
• Cannabis Cultivation Policy
• Cannabis Cultivation Policy Staff Report
• Cannabis General Order (Order No. WQ 2019-0001-DWQ)
  • Attachment A: Cannabis Policy Attachment A
  • Attachment B: Monitoring and Reporting Program
  • Attachment C: Notice of Termination
  • Attachment D: Technical Report Guidance

2020-2021 Cannabis Fee Schedule

The fiscal year 2020/2021 Water Quality Fee Schedule table for cannabis cultivators covered under the Cannabis Cultivation General Order is posted below. To determine the correct fee amount, refer to the Tier and Risk Designation listed on the Notice of Receipt (NOR) emailed to the applicant upon submission of the completed application. NEW! Now Accepting Credit Cards.

To read the Cannabis Cultivation General Order fee table below, first locate the appropriate Tier, then the appropriate Risk Designation and the associated fee. See the Cannabis Cultivation General Order to determine the appropriate Tier and Risk Designation. The fee associated with the Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements is listed at the bottom of the table.

Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements - Dischargers with indoor cultivation sites or conditionally exempt sites shall pay an application fee for initial coverage of $600 for a five-year duration. The fee shall be paid each time an application for coverage is submitted.
See the Cannabis Cultivation General Order for more information about the Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements.

The Water Quality Fees Stakeholder Meetings schedule and other stakeholder resources can be found on the Fees Stakeholder website.   All meetings will be held at the CalEPA Headquarters Building (1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) and will also be webcast (https://video.calepa.ca.gov/).

Regional Water Boards Contact Information

Regional Water Board Boundary Map