Transcript DID YOU KNOW? – Cuyahoga River on Fire in Cleveland, Ohio – Raw wastewater spewed in the San Francisco Bay – City of Columbia.

DID YOU KNOW?
– Cuyahoga River on Fire in Cleveland, Ohio
– Raw wastewater spewed in the San Francisco
Bay
– City of Columbia Discharged Raw Wastewater
in early 1970’s
– No Mechanism to Systematically Fix Problems
or Prevent Problems Help!!!
NPDES Permitting
Making the Grade:
Environmental Compliance at
Colleges and Universities
NPDES Permitting Program
Brenda Green
SCDHEC
Water Facilities Permitting Division
Regulation

Federal Water Pollution Control Act
aka Clean Water Act (1972)
National
Pollutant
Discharge
Elimination
System
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act prohibits
anybody from discharging
"pollutants" through a "point
source" into "waters of the United
States" unless they have an
NPDES permit.
Typical Regulated Point
Source Discharges
•
•
•
Treated wastewater from POTWs,
industries, private utilities
Utility Water Discharges
Stormwater
NPDES:
Individual or General Permit?

An Individual NPDES permit is
specifically tailored for an individual
facility.

A General NPDES permit is developed
and issued by the State to cover
multiple facilities within the State of
South Carolina.
Components of an
NPDES Permit
 Permit
 Rationale
 Fact
Sheet
 Attachments
NPDES Sample Permit
Sample
Permit
Inside a Permit
Definitions
 Standard Conditions
 Limitations and Monitoring
Requirements
 Schedule of Compliance
 Other Requirements

Rationale
An explanation for why each
parameter is or is not limited in the
permit and, if limited, the basis for
the limitation.
• Boilerplate language
•Discussion of limitations for each outfall
Attachments
EXCEL spreadsheets
 Background data for receiving stream
 Source Water Protection Area Map

NPDES General Permits
Utility
water discharges
Vehicle wash water discharges**
Bulk petroleum storage activities
Nonmetal mineral mining discharges
Petroleum contaminated groundwater
discharges
Hydrostatic test water discharges
Stormwater **
NPDES Permit
Reissuance Applications

Be On Time!
- Permittee notified by DHEC 270 days prior to
expiration date of permit
- Second notice sent 30 days prior to due date

Be Complete!
- Required 180 days prior to expiration date
- Incomplete application does not satisfy reapplication
requirements

Be Paid Up!
- Reissuance can be denied if there are outstanding
fees in any program area
Common Compliance Issues




Incomplete applications
Incomplete/Incorrect DMR forms
Late submissions
Permit parameter violations
– TSS
– pH
– BOD

Seasonal violations
– Low flow during weekends/summer
– Unexpected high flows during rainy season
How to Comply with an
NPDES Permit
Review the proposed draft permit
thoroughly and determine if your facility
can meet limits
 Request compliance schedules for new
and more stringent permit limits
 Upgrade treatment facilities as needed
 Make sure treatment plant is monitored
daily as required by permit

How to Comply with an
NPDES Permit (continued)
Submit required reports to the
Department in a timely manner
 Know what the regulations require
 Document requested changes in writing
 Ask Questions!!

Resources
Regulation 61-9: Water Pollution Control Permits
www.scdhec.net/water/regs/r61-9.doc
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/html/npdespage.html
NPDES Applications and Forms
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/html/npdesapps.html
NPDES Frequently Asked Questions
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/html/npdesfaqs.html
Subchapter N - Effluent Guidelines and Standards
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/html/npdessubchapn.html
Resources
Regulation 61-67: Standards for Wastewater Facility
Permitting
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/regs/r61-67.doc
Regulation 61-30: Environmental Protection Fees
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/regs/r61-30.doc
Wastewater Construction Permitting Program
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/html/wwconpage.html
Construction Permit Application for Water/Wastewater
Facilities
www.scdhec.gov/eqc/water/forms/d-1970.pdf
Questions??
 Write:
Brenda Green
SCDHEC
Bureau of Water
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
 Call: (803) 898-3375
 Email: [email protected]
 Website: www.scdhec.gov/water