The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2014-15
REGULATE: NPDES WASTEWATER
GROUP:
GENERAL NPDES FACILITIES
MEASURE:
NUMBER OF MONITORING REPORTS DUE AND RECEIVED
NUMBER OF FACILITIES WITH REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IN CIWQS
MESSAGE:
73 percent of facilities enrolled in a general NPDES permit have reporting requirements in CIWQS. 69 percent of reports due in FY 14-15 were received.
Key Statistics for FY 2014-15
Number of Facilities with Reporting Requirements
887
Number of Monitoring Reports Due
2,775
Number of Monitoring Reports Received
1,912
MEASUREMENTS - Data Last Updated on: 10-26-2015 (8:36 am)
Regional Board Office
Facilities Regulated
Facilities With Reporting Requirements in CIWQS
Self Monitoring Reports Due in FY 2014-15
Reports Fully Submitted
Reports Reviewed
Percentage Reports Fully Submitted
1
12
12
25
16
9
64%
2
200
40
68
0
0
0%
3
76
72
106
50
50
47%
4
468
452
1,666
1,564
1,368
94%
5
199
166
487
255
228
52%
5F
25
21
72
33
0
46%
5R
32
30
108
29
29
27%
5S
142
115
307
193
189
63%
6
10
10
29
6
6
21%
6A
2
2
11
0
0
0%
6B
8
7
18
6
3
33%
7
8
3
3
0
0
0%
8
125
12
48
21
21
44%
9
121
121
343
0
0
0%
TOTAL
1,219
887
2,775
1,912
1,669
69%
WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING
73 percent of all facilities regulated in the NPDES Wastewater Program and enrolled in a general permit now have their reporting requirements in the Water Boards' database, the California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS). 69 percent of reports due to the Water Boards in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15 were received statewide. Of the 1,912 reports received, 1,669 reports (87 percent) were reviewed by Water Board staff.
WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT
Self-Monitoring Reports (SMRs) are the primary tool to assess compliance with permit requirements. SMRs are submitted with different frequencies and with different purposes. At a minimum, all regulated facilities are required to submit an annual report, with most facilities also required to submit quarterly reports. Some dischargers may also be required to submit monthly reports and other technical reports. SMRs contain the information required to assess the quality of a regulated facility's discharge and the facility's compliance with its permit. SMRs typically include both the data required by the permit as well as any additional date the permitted has collected, consistent with permit requirements. SMRs often include an assessment of discharge conditions, analysis performed by a certified laboratory, and field measurements (such as pH and stream flow). Regional Water Board staff review reports to determine if the reports are complete, and if the reported values are within the permitted limits. In 2010, the Water Boards transitioned to tracking both paper and electronic form monitoring reports due, received, and reviewed in the CIWQS database. This card shows the progress towards tracking monitoring and reviewing reports from all permitted facilities.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Data Source: CIWQS. Period July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
Unit of Measure: Number of self-monitoring reports that were due, received or reviewed during FY 14-15.
Data Definitions: Self-monitoring report required in Waste Discharge Requirements and NPDES permits. Data includes all Self-monitoring report types and frequencies.
The form used to report self-monitoring results by regulated facilities. Self Monitoring: Sampling and analyses performed by a facility to determine compliance with a permit or other regulatory requirements.
CIWQS
The California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) is a web-based relational database for core regulatory data. Using this system, both staff and the public can access data related to places of environmental interest, permits and other orders, inspections and violations and enforcement activities.
General Permit
An NPDES permit issued under 40 CFR 122.28 that authorizes a category of discharges under the Clean Water Act (CWA) within a geographical area. A general permit is not specifically tailored for an individual discharger.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
The NPDES permit program (CWA Section 402) controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. US EPA has approved the Water Board's program to issue NPDES permits.
NPDES Permit
The Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging "pollutants" through a "point source" into a "water of the United States" unless they have an NPDES permit. The permit contains limits on what can be discharged, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to protect water quality and public health. In essence, the permit translates general requirements of the Clean Water Act into specific provisions tailored to the operations of each person discharging pollutants.
