Chapter 92 Watershed Permits

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Chapter 92 NPDES Permits Watershed Permits
Issue Some pollutants persist and accumulate in
the watershed, resulting in a threat to water
quality standards only after a threshold loading
or concentration is reached at some point in the
watershed.

• Biological monitoring detects problem
• Existing process poorly positioned to address
  watershed-wide water quality concerns effectively
  and at minimum cost

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Chapter 92 NPDES Permits Watershed Permits
New methods and tools have enabled the Department
to better determine when watershed-wide concerns
apply, and to assign appropriate limits to
address the problem. The ability to issue
watershed-based NPDES permits for point source
discharges will provide the implementation
process to complement these watershed-wide
assessments.
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Chapter 92 NPDES Permits Watershed Permits

• Challenge Minimize costs.
• Watershed permits avoid need for broad-brush,
  excessively conservative approaches. Customized
  wasteload allocation is the standard.
• Watershed permits provide the framework for
  pollutant credit trading. This flexibility is
  required to control costs and provide incentive
  for highest, cost-effective degree of treatment
  (because excess credits can be sold).