February 2016 – ENVSCO

National Pretreatment Program

The national pretreatment program is a component of the NPDES program. It is a cooperative effort of federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies established to protect water quality. Similar to how EPA authorizes the NPDES permit program to state, tribal, and territorial governments to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement tasks for discharges to surface waters (NPDES program), EPA and authorized NPDES state pretreatment programs approve local municipalities to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement tasks for discharges into the municipalities’ publicly owned treatment workspublicly owned treatment worksA treatment works (as defined by CWA section 212) that is owned by a state or municipality [as defined by CWA section 502(4)].

This definition includes any devices or systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature. It also includes sewers, pipes, or other conveyances only if they convey wastewater to a POTW treatment plant. The term also means the municipality [as defined in CWA section 502(4)] that has jurisdiction over the indirect discharges to and the discharges from such a treatment works. [40 CFR 403.3(q)] (POTWs). The program is designed to:

protect POTWs publicly owned treatment worksA municipal or public service district sewage treatment system. infrastructure, and
reduce conventional and toxic pollutant levels discharged by industries and other nondomestic wastewater sources into municipal sewer systems and into the environment.

Overview

The national pretreatment program requires nondomestic dischargers to comply with pretreatment standards to ensure the goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA) are attained.

The objectives of the program are to:

prevent the introduction of pollutants into a POTW that will interfere with its operation, including interference
interferenceA discharge that, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, both (1) inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations, or its sludge processes, use, or disposal; and (2) therefore is a cause of a violation of any requirement of the POTW’s NPDES permit (including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation) or of the prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal in compliance with … [applicable] statutory provisions and regulations or permits issued thereunder (or more stringent state or local regulations). [paraphrased from 40 CFR 403.3(k)] with its use or disposal of municipal sludge,
prevent the introduction of pollutants into a POTW that will pass through
pass throughA discharge that exits the POTW into waters of the United States in quantities or concentrations that, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, is a cause of a violation of any requirement of the POTW’s NPDES permit (including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation). [40 CFR 403.3(p)] the treatment works or otherwise be incompatible with it, and
improve opportunities to recycle and reclaim municipal and industrial wastewaters and sludges.

The national pretreatment program identifies specific discharge standards and requirements that apply to sources of nondomestic wastewater discharged to a POTW. By reducing or eliminating waste at the industries (“source reduction”), fewer toxic pollutants are discharged to and treated by the POTWs, providing benefits to both the POTWs and the industrial users.

Pretreatment standards and requirements include:

general and specific prohibitions,
categorical pretreatment standards, and
local limits.

Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities

Construction Overview

Stormwater discharges from construction activities can significantly impact water quality. As stormwater flows over a construction site, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals and transport them to nearby storm sewer systems or directly into rivers, lakes, or coastal waters.

The NPDES stormwater program requires permits for discharges from construction activities that disturb one or more acres, and discharges from smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale. Construction stormwater permits include effluent limits for erosion and sediment control, pollution prevention, and site stabilization from the Construction and Development Effluent Guidelines and Standards regulations.

Depending on the location of the construction site, either the state (if it has been authorized to implement the NPDES stormwater program) or EPA will administer the permit. In areas where EPA is the permitting authority, operators of regulated construction sites are generally permitted under EPA’s 2012 Construction General Permit (CGP).

Authorization Status for EPA’s Construction and Industrial Stormwater Programs – Visit this page to find out whether EPA or your state is the permitting authority for industrial activities.

http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-construction-activities#overview

Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule

On September 24, 2015, Administrator Gina McCarthy signed the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule for publication in the Federal Register. The publication of this rule is the latest step in an extensive multi-year outreach effort with EPA’s state, tribal and territorial partners. This rule will replace most paper-based Clean Water Act (CWA) NPDES permitting and compliance monitoring reporting requirements with electronic reporting.

This action will save time and resources for permittees, states, tribes, territories, and the U.S. Government while increasing data accuracy, improving compliance, and supporting EPA’s goal of providing better protection of the nation’s waters. This regulation will help provide greater clarity on who is and who is not in compliance and enhances transparency by providing a timelier, complete, more accurate, and nationally-consistent set of data about the NPDES program. This final rule will likely be published in the Federal Register sometime in October.

This final rule requires that NPDES regulated entities electronically submit the following permit and compliance monitoring information instead of using paper reports:

Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs);
Notices of Intent to discharge in compliance with a general permit; and
Program reports.

Authorized NPDES programs will also electronically submit NPDES program data to EPA to ensure that there is consistent and complete reporting nationwide, and to expedite the collection and processing of the data, thereby making it more accurate and timely. Importantly, while the rule changes the method by which information is provided (i.e., electronic rather than paper-based), it does not increase the amount of information required from NPDES regulated entities facilities under existing regulations.

EPA offered many opportunities for authorized state programs to provide comments and input during the development of this final rule. EPA will continue to work in partnership with these states to help make an orderly and measured transition from paper to electronic reporting. In particular, EPA will work closely with states to provide technical and financial support, as available, to develop or enhance state electronic reporting capabilities.

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/final-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-npdes-electronic-reporting-rule