Wis. Stat. § 283.33 — WI Code / Chapter 283 / Section 283.33
Storm water discharge permits.
Status: in_force

(1) Requirement. Except as provided in sub. (1m) , an owner or operator shall obtain a permit under this section for any of the following:

(a) A discharge from a discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance of storm water associated with an industrial activity that meets criteria in rules promulgated by the department.

(am) A discharge from a discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance of storm water associated with a construction site, including a construction site for a building, that meets criteria in rules promulgated by the department.

(b) A discharge of storm water from a municipal separate storm sewer system serving an incorporated area with a population of 100,000 or more, as determined by the 1990 federal census.

(c) A discharge of storm water from a municipal separate storm sewer system serving an area located in an urbanized area, as determined by the U.S. bureau of the census based on the latest decennial federal census.

(cg) A discharge of storm water from a municipal separate storm sewer system serving an area with a population of 10,000 or more and a population density of 1,000 or more per square mile, if the system is designated by the department to be regulated under this section based on an evaluation of whether the storm water discharge results in, or has the potential to result in, water quality standards being exceeded, including impairment of designated uses, or in other significant water quality impacts, including habitat and biological impacts.

(cr) A discharge of storm water from a municipal separate storm sewer system that is designated by the department to be regulated under this section because the system contributes substantially to the pollutant loadings of a physically interconnected municipal separate storm sewer system that is regulated under this section.

(d) A discharge of storm water from a facility or activity, other than a facility or activity under pars. (a) to (cr) , if the department determines that the discharge either contributes to a violation of a water quality standard or is a significant contributor of pollutants to the waters of the state.

(1m) Exemptions; limitation on local permitting.

(a) An owner or operator is not required to obtain a permit under this section for any of the following:

1. A discharge of storm water associated with planting, growing, cultivating, or harvesting crops for use or consumption by humans, livestock, as defined in s. 95.80 (1) (b) , or poultry, including sod farms and tree nurseries.

2. A discharge of storm water associated with pasturing or yarding livestock, as defined in s. 95.80 (1) (b) , or poultry.

3. A discharge of storm water from land containing dredged material removed from a drainage district ditch, if the land is adjacent to the ditch from which the dredged material was removed.

4. Any other discharge of storm water exempted by the department by rule from obtaining a permit under this section.

(b) A political subdivision may not require an owner or operator to obtain a permit from the political subdivision for any discharge described under par. (a) 1. to 4. In this paragraph, “political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.

(c) The exemptions under par. (a) and the prohibition under par. (b) do not apply to the construction of barns, manure storage facilities, barnyard runoff control systems, or other similar structures.

(2) Municipal separate storm sewer systems; applications. The owner or operator of a portion of a municipal separate storm sewer system for which a permit is required under sub. (1) shall do one of the following:

(a) Submit a permit application for its portion of the municipal separate storm sewer system.

(b) Submit a permit application jointly with one or more other owners or operators of the municipal separate storm sewer system.

(c) Authorize a regional authority with control over discharges to a separate storm sewer system that serves areas in more than one municipality to submit an application for a permit that covers the owner’s or operator’s portion of the municipal separate storm sewer system and other portions of the system if all of the following apply:

1. The regional authority, together with the owners or operators, has authority over a storm water management program that will be in operation by the deadline established by the department.

2. The regional authority or the owners or operators demonstrate their ability to supply all of the required application information by the deadlines established by the department.

3. Each of the owners or operators of a portion of the system covered by the application provides the information required by the department.

(3) Municipal separate storm sewer systems; permits.

(a) The department may issue one permit for all discharges from a municipal separate storm sewer system for which a permit is required under sub. (1) or may issue separate permits for each municipality served by the system, for each type of discharge from the system, for individual discharges from the system or for other categories specified by the department.

(b) If the department issues more than one permit for discharges from a municipal separate storm sewer system, the permits may specify differing requirements.

(c) In a permit for part or all of a municipal separate storm sewer system, the department may specify differing conditions relating to different discharges covered by the permit, including differing management programs for the various drainage areas that contribute storm water to the system.

(4) Discharges through municipal separate storm sewer systems.

(a) In addition to obtaining a permit under this section, the owner or operator of an activity described in sub. (1) (a) or (am) that discharges storm water through a municipal separate storm sewer system described in sub. (1) (b) to (cr) shall submit the following information to the owner or operator of the municipal separate storm sewer system:

1. The name of the facility from which the release occurs.

2. The name and address of a person to contact for information about the discharge.

3. The location of the discharge.

4. A description of the principal products or services provided by the facility and the number of any permit covering the facility.

(b)

1. If a person required to provide information under par. (a) is releasing storm water into the municipal separate storm sewer system before the system is subject to sub. (1) , the person shall provide the information no later than 60 days after the system becomes subject to sub. (1) .

2. If a person required to provide information under par. (a) is not releasing storm water into the municipal separate storm sewer system before the system is subject to sub. (1) , the person shall provide the information no later than 180 days before beginning to release storm water into the system.

(4m) Transportation activities.

(a) In this subsection, “transportation activity” has the meaning given in s. 30.2022 (1g) .

(b)

1. The department of natural resources shall issue a general permit under this section on or before June 30, 2018, that authorizes the department of transportation to discharge storm water from the site of a transportation activity. A general permit issued under this paragraph is subject to the requirements for general permits issued under s. 283.35 .

2. The department of natural resources shall notify the legislative reference bureau when it issues a general permit under subd. 1. The legislative reference bureau shall publish the notice in the Wisconsin Administrative Register.

(c) Beginning on the date on which the department of natural resources issues a general permit under par. (b) 1. , the department of transportation may not discharge storm water from the site of a transportation activity unless it obtains an individual permit under sub. (1) or it is covered by a general permit issued under par. (b) 1.

(d) A general permit issued under this section shall incorporate the interdepartmental liaison procedures established under s. 30.2022 (2) and the requirements specified in rules promulgated under ss. 30.2022 , 283.33 , and 283.35 .

(5) Other dischargers. A person who is required to obtain a permit under sub. (1) (a) , (am) , or (d) may apply for an individual permit or request coverage under a general permit issued by the department under s. 283.35 .

(6) Other coverage.

(a) A municipal separate storm sewer system that is combined with a sanitary sewer system is not required to be covered by a permit under this section but is required to be covered by a permit under s. 283.31 .

(b) The department may include coverage of a storm water discharge in a permit issued under s. 283.31 . For the purposes of this chapter, the portion of a permit issued under s. 283.31 that covers a storm water discharge is considered a permit issued under this section.

(7) Petitions. The owner or operator of a municipal separate storm sewer system may petition the department to require a permit under this section for any discharge through the municipal separate storm sewer system. The department may approve the petition only if a permit for the discharge is required under sub. (1) (a) , (am) , or (d) .

(7m) Issuance. The department shall base the priority for the initial issuance of permits under this section on the relative impact of the discharges on water quality.

(8) Rule making. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this section. The department may not require a permit under this section for diffused surface drainage or agricultural storm water discharges.

(9) Storm water fees.

(a) The department shall promulgate rules setting all of the following:

1. A storm water construction permit fee to be paid by any person who applies for a permit under this section for the discharge of storm water from a construction site.

2. A storm water permit annual fee that is to be paid upon issuance of the permit and annually thereafter by a person who holds a permit under this section for the discharge of storm water, other than for the discharge of storm water from a construction site.

(b) The department shall establish the amount of the fee under par. (a) for permits for construction sites, other industrial permits and municipal separate storm sewer permits based on the costs associated with each type of permit.

(bm) The annual fees under par. (a) are due on June 30 annually, beginning with 1994.

(c) All moneys collected under par. (a) shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (9) (bj) .

History: 1993 a. 16 ; 1995 a. 227 s. 852 , 858 ; Stats. 1995 s. 283.33; 1997 a. 27 ; 2001 a. 16 ; 2013 a. 20 ; 2015 a. 307 ; 2017 a. 59 , 115 .