Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order
Sewage is untreated or partially treated domestic, municipal, commercial and/or industrial waste (including sewage sludge), and any mixture of these wastes with inflow or infiltration of stormwater or groundwater, conveyed in a sanitary sewer system. A spill is a discharge of sewage from any portion of a sanitary sewer system due to a sanitary sewer system spill, operational failure, and/or infrastructure failure. Sewage and its associated wastewater spilled from a sanitary sewer system may threaten public health, beneficial uses of waters of the State, and the environment.
General Order Information
To provide a consistent, statewide regulatory approach to address sanitary sewer spills, the State Water Board adopted Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems, Water Quality Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ (Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order) on December 6, 2022. The Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order requires public agencies that own or operate sanitary sewer systems to develop and implement sewer system management plans and report all sanitary sewer spills to the State Water Board’s online California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) Sanitary Sewer System Database.
Quick Links
- Electronic Sanitary Sewer System Service Area Boundary Map Specifications
- Sewer System Management Plan and Program Audit Due Dates Look Up (search by WDID number)
- Interactive Sanitary Sewer System Spill Report
- Sewage Spill Incident Maps
- Online CIWQS Sanitary Sewer System Database Access and Use
- Sanitary Sewer System Spill Data
- Sanitary Sewer Systems Waste Discharge Requirements Training
- Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order Contacts
Sewage Spill Incident Maps
These interactive geographic information system (GIS) maps, which are updated nightly, plot certified spills from sanitary sewer systems (not including any spills from wastewater [sewage] treatment plants). Agencies report and certify spills in the state’s online California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS). Spill information includes the spill location, amount, source, and name of the responsible agency. Discrete data on category 4 spills are only required to be reported annually so are not included in this report.
The following map shows the spills from privately-owned sewer laterals and/or private sanitary sewer systems voluntarily reported into CIWQS by enrollees. Private laterals spills are caused from failures in sewer pipes that tie private businesses and homes into the public sewer system.
Online Sanitary Sewer System Database Access and Use
The Sanitary Sewer System Database is accessed through the California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS), which is the State Water Board’s regulatory and water quality information management system.
SPILL CATEGORIES |
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|---|---|
| CATEGORY 1 |
A Category 1 spill is a spill of any volume of sewage from or caused by a sanitary sewer system regulated under this General Order that results in a discharge to:
Any spill volume not recovered from a drainage conveyance system is considered a discharge to surface water, unless the drainage conveyance system discharges to a dedicated stormwater infiltration basin or facility. A spill from an Enrollee-owned and/or operated lateral that discharges to a surface water is a Category 1 spill; the Enrollee shall report all Category 1 spills per section 3.1 of Attachment E1 (Notification, Monitoring, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements) of this General Order. |
| CATEGORY 2 |
A Category 2 spill is a spill of 1,000 gallons or greater, from or caused by a sanitary sewer system regulated under this General Order that does not discharge to a surface water. A spill of 1,000 gallons or greater that spills out of a lateral and is caused by a failure or blockage in the sanitary sewer system, is a Category 2 spill. |
| CATEGORY 3 |
A Category 3 spill is a spill of equal to or greater than 50 gallons and less than 1,000 gallons, from or caused by a sanitary sewer system regulated under this General Order that does not discharge to a surface water. A spill of equal to or greater than 50 gallons and less than 1,000 gallons, that spills out of a lateral and is caused by a failure or blockage in the sanitary sewer system is a Category 3 spill. |
| CATEGORY 4 |
A Category 4 spill is a spill of less than 50 gallons, from or caused by a sanitary sewer system regulated under this General Order that does not discharge to a surface water. A spill of less than 50 gallons that spills out of a lateral and is caused by a failure or blockage in the sanitary sewer system is a Category 4 spill. |
Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order Enrollee Training
The State Water Board signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with California Water Environment Association (CWEA) to develop a training course for the Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order. CWEA will offer the courses statewide to educate enrollees about the terms of the Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order, use of the online sanitary sewer system database, and development of a sewer system management plan Sewer System Management Plan. For details about the course content and schedule, please visit the CWEA Website.
Related Links:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - information on sanitary sewer overflows
- California Water Environment Association – register for training on sanitary sewer overflow reporting and SSMP development
- Upcoming CWEA Events
- Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works – site contains resources for SSMP development and implementation
- CIWQS Help Center – technical support on access (e.g., user ID and password information and login questions) to and use of the sanitary sewer overflow database
Subscribe to our Email Lists
Contacts
General Inquiries:
General Order Compliance Tools
How to Develop and Upload Sewer System Management Plan
- SSMP Development Guidance Manual (Prepared by BACWA)
- Guidance: SSMP Upload and Certification
How to Report and Certify Spill Reports in CIWQS
- Guidance: Category 1 Spill
- Guidance: Category 2 Spill
- Training Video – Submitting Cat 1 and 2 Draft Spill Report
- Training Video – Submitting Cat 1 and 2 Certified Spill Report
- Guidance: Category 3 Spill
- Guidance: Category 4 Spill
- Guidance: Enrollee Owned/Operated Lateral Spills
Statewide Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order (2022-0103-DWQ) Overview
How to Register for a Legally Responsible Official User Account in CIWQS
How to Submit and Certify an Annual Report including System Performance Analysis Graphs in CIWQS
Historical Information
- Enrollees User Guide
- Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reduction Program Library
- Sewer System Management Plan Development Guide
- Previous State Water Board Staff Workshops
- Order 2006-0003-DWQ Review and Update
- Order 2006-0003-DWQ and 2013 Monitoring and Reporting Program
- Sanitary Sewer Overflow Compliance & Enforcement Information Annual Compliance Report
- Sewer System Management Plan Development/Implementation
- The California Water Board’s Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2014-15
- The California Water Board’s Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2015-16
Wet Wipes Labelling Law (AB 818, 2021)
Independent studies show that items which are not designed or intended to be flushed make up 99 percent of materials that clog or accumulate in equipment at wastewater treatment plants. In October 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 818, now known as the Proper Wet Wipes Labeling Law, to help address this issue. The bill requires premoistened non-flushable wipes manufactured on or after July 1, 2022, to be labeled clearly with a “Do Not Flush” instruction in symbol and text, and establishes the California Consumer Education and Outreach Program, which requires the industry to study consumer behavior on the flushing of disposable wipes, establish relevant multimedia education and outreach programs, and report annually on those programs. Below are the Annual Reports submitted by the Responsible Flushing Alliance:
