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), combined sewer overflows (CSOs), pretreatment, sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and stormwater.

New! View 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.

• Overview
• Water Permitting 101 [PDF Format] - Overview of the NPDES permitting process
• NPDES Strategic Plan [PDF Format] - 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

• 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. EPA's Water Quality Trading Policy describes flexible approaches to meeting water quality requirements.
• Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) - Describes a water quality-based method for deriving permit limits
• 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 Application - EPA's Permit Application Software System (PASS)

• Tools for Permit Writers
• Key Tools for Permit Writers - Overview of Tools, NPDES Permit Writers' Manual, Central Tenets of the NPDES Permits Program [PDF Format], Municipal Permit Review Checklist [PDF Format], Industrial Permit Review Checklist [PDF Format]
• Downloadable Treatability Database [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 Format]
• 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
• View Individual and General NPDES Permits - Search and view individual and general permits issued by permit category, state, permit title, or permit number.
• Accessing Individual NPDES Permit Information through Envirofacts

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Last updated on May 28, 2004 1:28 PM
URL: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm