NPDES Permit Program Basics

This section of this website contains basic information on the major features and elements of the NPDES permit program. The information in this section will be most useful to state and tribal officials, interested citizens, and others with an interest in the details of the NPDES program. This information is broadly applicable to all NPDES permits and programs, including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), pesticide discharges, combined sewer overflows (CSOs), pretreatment, sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), stormwater and whole effluent toxicity (WET).

NPDES General Permit Inventory

• Overview
• Water Permitting 101 (PDF) (11 pp, 41K) - Overview of the NPDES permitting process
• NPDES Strategic Plan (PDF) (19 pp, 785K) - The Water Permits Division's Strategic Plan of goals and key actions on protecting the nation's waters through effective NPDES permits - FY 2001 and beyond.

• Statutes and Regulations
• Clean Water Act - Text of the Clean Water Act
• NPDES Regulations - Explanation of Federal regulations and links to the NPDES regulations
• Other Federal authorities - An overview of the primary federal laws that also apply to the NPDES permit program

• Program and Permit Review
• Permit Quality Review (PQR) - Assess state or regional implementation of the NPDES program.
• Permitting for Environmental Results (PER) Strategy - Presents a coordinated and integrated management system that when fully implemented will produce a nation-wide NPDES program that is more efficient and focuses on environmental results.

• Water Quality and Technology-Based Permitting:
• Overview - Describes both approaches to developing limits in NDPES permits, as well as an overview of the standards-to-permits process
• Watershed Permitting - Describes NPDES permitting within the context of larger watershed efforts.
• Water Quality Trading Policy - EPA’s Water Quality Trading Policy describes flexible approaches to meeting water quality requirements
• Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers - Provides detailed information on how to apply the Trading Policy when designing and implementing water quality trading programs.
• Web-based Water Quality Trading Training - Provides Web-based presentations covering the material presented in the one-day water quality trading training workshops.
• Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) - Draft National Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Implementation Guidance (PDF) (109 pp, 1.09MB), Overview of WET



• Secondary treatment - Describes the technology-based requirements for municipal sewage treatment facilities
• Effluent guidelines - Describes the technology-based requirements for industrial and other non- municipal facilities

• Applications
• Applications - NPDES application forms and other related forms
• Electronic Notice of Intent (eNOI) - Electronic system for construction sites, industrial facilities, or vessels that need to apply for coverage under EPA's Construction General Permit (CGP), Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP), or Vessels General Permit (VGP)

• Tools for Permit Writers
• Key Tools for Permit Writers - Overview of Tools, NPDES Permit Writers' Manual, Central Tenets of the NPDES Permits Program (PDF) (6 pp, 154K) , TMDLs to Stormwater Permits Draft Handbook (PDF) (211 pp, 5.7MB), NPDES Permit Quality Review (PQR) Assessment Packet (PDF) (57 pp, 463KB)
• Downloadable Treatability Database (ZIP) [ZIP FORMAT] (1MB) - helps permit writers develop best professional judgement (BPJ) limitations, as referenced in the Permit Writers' Training Course. Click here for technical questions about this database.

• State Program Information
• Where You Live - Clickable map to obtain local NPDES contacts, links, and authorization status information
• State Authorization Process - Process for authorizing states to implement the NPDES permit program
• Map of Authorized States and Territories (PDF) (1 pp, 664K)
• Chart of Authorized States and Territories, detailed status information
• Contact Information for State and Territory NPDES programs

• Permitted Universe and Backlog Reduction
• Backlog Reduction - Permits that have been administratively continued beyond their five year terms are considered to be "backlogged." EPA and the authorized states have been working for several years to reduce the size of the backlog. This section provides basic information on the backlog, including goals, trends, and key documents
• High Priority NPDES Permit Performance Measures for Section 106 under the Program Assessment and Rating Tool (PART) - Percentage of high priority state NPDES permits that are on schedule to be reissued for FY 2005
• Individual and General NPDES Permits
• Information on Specific Facilities with NPDES Permits can be obtained through EPA's Envirofacts Warehouse. For easier navigation, we have put together an simple guide to Envirofacts to help first-time users.

• Emerging Topics
• Shale Gas Extraction FAQs - Provides answers to shale gas extraction frequently asked questions.

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Last updated on February 16, 2012 12:05 PM
URL:http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm