National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) - Wastewater

DO I NEED AN NPDES PERMIT?

Do you discharge pollutants from a point source to a water of the United States? If so, you need an NPDES permit.

As authorized by the Clean Water Act (CWA), the NPDES Permit Program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Examples of pollutants include, but are not limited to, rock, sand, dirt, and agricultural, industrial, and municipal waste discharged into waters of the United States. See section 122.2 of 40 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) for the actual definitions of point source, pollutant, and water of the United States.

The NPDES Program is a federal program which has been delegated to the State of California for implementation through the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Water Boards), collectively Water Boards. In California, NPDES permits are also referred to as waste discharge requirements (WDRs) that regulate discharges to waters of the United States.

Since its introduction in 1972, the NPDES Program has been responsible for significant improvements to our nation's and state’s water quality.

WHERE DO I DISCHARGE?
WHERE SHOULD I GET MY PERMIT?

The map below shows the nine Regional Water Board boundaries which are based on watersheds. Using the map, determine where your discharge will occur and contact the appropriate Regional Water Board NPDES Program Manager for that region. The contact information for the Regional Water Board NPDES Program Managers is shown in the table below.

~ click map to enlarge ~

What's New!

• Stakeholder Workshop for Proposed NPDES Permit for Drinking Water Systems Discharge
  

  The State Water Board is continuing its stakeholder outreach effort for the development of a drinking water system discharge permit for the Regional Water Boards to implement per their discretion. The proposed permit will be a new general NPDES permit as required by Clean Water Act section 402 for point source discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States.

  On May 12, 2014, Water Board staff held a stakeholder workshop in San Diego, California. The following materials were presented at the workshop:

  • Staff Presentation by Victoria Whitney
  • San Diego County Water Authority Presentation by Jim Fisher
  • Stakeholder Meeting Handouts

The Role of the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards

It is the responsibility of the Water Boards to preserve and enhance the quality of the state's waters through the development of water quality control plans and the issuance of (WDRs. WDRs for discharges to waters of the United States also serve as NPDES permits.

The State Water Board establishes statewide plans, policies, and regulations that help protect and restore the water quality in California. The State Water Board also oversees the implementation of the NDPES Program throughout the state, As such, it coordinates with and supports Regional Water Board efforts, and reviews Regional Water Board actions. While the State Water Board has issued some NPDES permits, the Regional Water Boards issue the vast majority of NPDES permits in the state. Therefore, they ensure compliance with their permits through compliance inspections, monitoring report reviews, and enforce actions, if necessary. Each Regional Water Board makes critical water quality decisions for its region.

Fees

• NPDES Permit Fees
  • Drinking Water Systems Permit - See Category 3 of Section 2200(b)(9) for the annual fee.
  • Pesticides Permits Other than Vector Control Permit - See Category 3 of Section 2200(b)(9) for the annual fee.
  • Utility Vaults Permit - See Category 3 of Section 2200(b)(9) for the annual fee.
  • Vector Control - See Section 2200(b)(5) for the permit term fee.
• Check your Annual Fee Invoice Status

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