The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year  2016-17 

MEASUREMENTS  - Data Last Updated on: 01-16-2018 (3:18 pm)

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2016-17, the Storm Water Program inspected 16 percent of industrial storm water facilities, with 1,908 inspections performed at 1,727 facilities statewide. Industrial storm water facilities are unlikely to change significantly over time, so the frequency of inspections necessary to verify compliance may be lower than the frequency necessary for construction storm water facilities. For compliance purposes, some facilities are inspected more than once a year, which is why the total number of inspections is greater than the total number of facilities inspected. As a percentage of facilities inspected, the FY 16-17 inspection rate is similar to the inspection rate reported over the last several FYs statewide.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

Inspections are a primary tool used in determining and documenting compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and waste discharge requirements (WDR). The NPDES Storm Water Program uses inspection to assess compliance with NPDES requirements. The General Industrial Permit requires that an annual report be submitted each July 1st, which is used in conjunction with site inspections to verify facilities are in compliance with permit requirements.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Data Source: SMARTS. Period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
• Unit of Measure: Number of facilities inspected at least once.
• Data Definitions: Inspections: include inspections conducted by Regional or State Water Board staff, or US EPA. It includes any inspection type. Facilities: Include any construction facility enrolled under the storm water program that was active at least one day during FY 15-16. Facilities Inspected: Count of facilities inspected one or more times during a fiscal year. 
• References: Information on the Water Boards� NPDES Storm Water program
  Public Reports and Data
  Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Information

GLOSSARY

Industrial Storm Water Program

Discharges associated with 10 broad categories of industrial activities are regulated under the Industrial Storm Water General Permit Order 2014-0057-DWQ (General Industrial Permit), which is an NPDES permit.

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.

Inspection (Compliance and Non Compliance)

The Regional Board or State Board may inspect the facilities of any discharger at any time pursuant to Water Code, Section 13267. Compliance activities include all activities necessary to determine if discharges are in compliance with waste discharge requirements, NPDES permits, and related enforcement orders. Compliance inspections are classified as either Level A or Level B, with Level A being more thorough.

( Page last updated:  11/1/17 )