SSO-WDR

State Water Resources Control Board - General Waste Discharge Requirements

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Regulation Overview and Background	Electronic Reporting Information & Training	SSMP Information & Training	NEW—SSMP Resource Database
New SWRCB Executive Order requires report of discharge within 2 hours On February 20, 2008, an Executive Order was signed and immediately put into effect by State Water Resources Control Board. The order requires that "For any discharges of sewage that results in a discharge into a drainage channel or a surface water, the Discharger shall, as soon as possible, but not later then two (2) hours after becoming aware of the discharge, notify the State Office of Emergency Services, the local health officer or directors of environmental health with jurisdiction over affected water bodies, and the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board." It also requires that "As soon as possible, but no later then twenty-four (24) hours after becoming aware of a discharge to a drainage channel or surface water, the Discharger shall submit to the appropriate Regional Water Quality Board a certification that the State Office or Emergency Services and the local health officer or director of environmental health with jurisdiction over the affected water bodies have been notified of the discharge." This two-hour notification went into effective upon signature. For the full update, please click here.
The Waste Discharge Requirement On May 2, 2006, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted a General Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) for all publicly owned sanitary sewer collection systems in California with more than one mile of sewer pipe. The goal of the WDR is to provide a consistent statewide approach for reducing Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). The WDR requires that: In the event of an SSO, all feasible steps be taken to control the released volume and prevent untreated wastewater from entering storm drains, creeks, etc. If an SSO occurs, it must be reported to the SWRCB using an online reporting system developed the SWRCB called CIWQS - the California Integrated Water Quality System project. . (Note: All spills greater than 1,000 gallons still must be reported to the Office of Emergency Services, as is currently required.) - Enrollment to the program, demographic questionnaire, and electronic reporting start-date are phased in by region, starting in November 2006. A Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) with all mandatory elements must be developed and approved by the collection system's governing body. - The requirement for completion of a development schedule , development of specific elements, and final approval are phased in based on population served, starting in August 2007. On June 27, 2006, CWEA and the SWRCB entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) (and amendment) for industry training on these new requirements. With the MOA in place, compliance deadlines were extended for both the electronic reporting and SSMP elements. On February 28, 2008, CWEA and the SWRCB signed a new MOA that extended the agreement until December 2009. More about Electronic Reporting More about the SSMP Volunteer Now
Resources
Understanding the Requirements Final SSO-WDR approved by SWRCB Final Monitoring & Reporting Program approved by SWRCB The SWRCB Fact Sheet on SSO-WDR What you need to know about the SSO-WDR (PowerPoint presentation) What your agency board should know about the SSO-WDR (PowerPoint presentation) - Modify to fit your audience! Additional Information Map of Regions & about the SWRCB. Region 2 Letter on SSMP Region 2 Letter on SSO-WDR State Letter to the Regional Boards
Contacts
Contact the State Water Resources Control Board State Water Board's web site Submit a Question to the SWRCB CIWQS Web site SWRCB Customer Service Feedback Form Contact the Training Task Force Questions, comments, and feedback for the Training Task Force Project Partners: ~ State Water Resources Control Board, ~ California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), ~ Southern California Alliance of Publicly-owned Treatment Works (SCAP), ~ Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA), ~ Central Valley Clean Water Association (CVCWA), and ~ California Water Environment Association (CWEA).