Office of Wastewater Management

2015-2016 Annual Report
1 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Message

from the

Director

Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of serving as 

the Director of the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM). 

In my time, especially in the last two years, we have done a

tremendous job partnering with federal, state and local

governments, industries and tribes to provide innovative

solutions for our nation’s water quality and quantity challenges.

Whether I’m shopping for a new WaterSense labeled

showerhead or walking through my neighborhood on a rainy

day, I see the fruits of our labor everywhere. While this report

serves as a highlight of the accomplishments we have achieved

together, it only skims the surface to illustrate the direct impact

we have on the lives of Americans.

The past 24 months have included

immense growth in OWM. We

expanded how we help Americans

access clean water with new

innovative funding options,

technical assistance, partnerships

and regulations. With these new

activities, we needed to change

the way we operate to create opportunities for even greater

success. We stood up the Water Infrastructure and Resiliency

Finance Center (WIRFC) and created a new team to implement

the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA).

We reorganized the Sustainable Communities Branch and

the Sustainable Management Branch to become the newly 

created Sustainable Communities and Infrastructure Branch. 

The Municipal Support Division became the Water Infrastructure 

Division to better capture the work we do. And, most importantly, 

we are investing in staff through culture exercises, retreats, 

facilitated discussions, and more, because I know that our 

people are our greatest resource.

This year, we also adopted a new slogan: Solutions for Clean 

Water. We are a one-stop-shop for those needing help with their

water quality or quantity problems, whether they are a state,

tribe, community, industry, utility, partner, or citizen. We create

the legal framework and then provide the guidance, funding -

and support through partnerships – to get the job done.

As the world changes, we have evolved with it. New technology

has made connecting with those we serve more important than

ever. We took the message directly to those who need to hear

it through extensive outreach campaigns; for example, WIFIA,

WIRFC, and some of our permitting programs held forums of

opportunities, conversations and feedback with critical partners

and stakeholders in various settings and communities around

the country. We wrote blogs that shared our experience with

issues such as septic system maintenance for new homeowners

and the challenges communities face paying for essential

water infrastructure improvements. We held several “Twitter

Chats,” inviting the world to ask us questions about nutrients,

WaterSense, water conservation, and

water finance. And we took innovation

a step further by inviting groups to

present new ideas and technologies to

address environmental challenges for

areas like nutrient management and

green infrastructure. By embracing

the opportunities presented by new

technology, we connected with hundreds

of thousands of American citizens in

their own homes and communities.

In 2015-2016, we worked together to accomplish more than

could fit in the pages of this report. And in 2017, we will build on

those successes to create solutions to problems that do not

exist yet. We work with industry and communities on the best

water quality and quantity solutions available. We support

states and tribes to develop and maintain infrastructure. With

our partners, we work together toward one goal: ensuring every

American has access to clean water. I’m proud to be a part of

the Office of Wastewater Management and look forward to the

growth and potential that the future holds.

Andrew D. Sawyers, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Wastewater Management

“We are a one-stop-shop 

for those needing help 

with their water quality or 

quantity problems...”
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Solutions for Clean Water

2
3 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

About

OWM

Who We Are

The Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) is 

part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Office of Water. OWM partners with federal, state and 

local governments, industries and tribes to provide 

innovative solutions for our nation’s water quality and 

quantity challenges. 

Our Vision

We envision a nation where all communities have 

access to clean water. By working with stakeholders, 

we develop approaches to manage water as a 

critical resource and prevent water pollution. Our 

programs and initiatives protect public heath and the 

environment as we support a growing economy.
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 4

Funding 

Page 5

Providing affordable financing to build water quality 

projects in communities. OWM identifies new and 

innovative approaches to financing water 

infrastructure that help existing dollars work smarter 

and harder. 

Partnerships

Page 13

Collaborating with stakeholders to encourage 

innovation and supplement regulatory programs 

with voluntary initiatives to protect water quality and 

quantity.

Regulations 

Page 19

Protecting water quality under the Clean Water 

Act through pollution control permits, rules, and 

oversight. OWM regulations are developed with 

extensive input from stakeholders, industry, and the 

public.

Guidance 

Page 9

Promoting best practices, technical assistance, 

guidance, and training to help states, industries, 

and communities make informed decisions about 

managing water resources.

Table

of

Contents

5

9

13

19
5 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report6

Funding

CWSRF Eligibility Paper

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014

amended the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

program, expanding project eligibilities from three to eleven. The

new eligibilities are broadly defined, providing the opportunity

to fund many new project types, especially in the areas of water

conservation and stormwater. The flexibility provided by the new

eligibilities offers the CWSRF additional opportunities to address

the most pressing state water quality issues. The CWSRF

Branch developed a document that provides an overview of the

extraordinarily wide variety of CWSRF 

project eligibilities. The document

is intended to serve as a resource for

state program managers as they identify

projects to receive CWSRF assistance.

CWSRF Marketing and 

Outreach Initiative

During 2016, the CWSRF Branch

implemented a new marketing and

outreach initiative focused on helping

state programs build demand for CWSRF

assistance. Components of the plan

include using contract resources to

provide technical assistance to state programs, highlighting

program accomplishments in written publications and social

media outlets, and developing a new recognition initiative that

will honor outstanding CWSRF projects. Contract resources will 

be used to work with states and their potential borrowers to 

analyze demand for assistance and identify action items to

enhance state marketing and outreach efforts. Best practices

learned during this process will be incorporated into a model

state marketing plan that states can use to launch a new

marketing and outreach program or augment existing efforts.

CWSRF Trends

The CWSRF Branch is currently undertaking a major initiative

to identify critical trends based on program and project level

data collected from the states. These trends will cover all

aspects of CWSRF activity, ranging from identifying the types

of communities and projects receiving funding to tracking how

these funds are being committed and disbursed to needed

projects. This work has already benefited other important branch

efforts such as partnering with states to promote CWSRF

marketing and outreach. Going forward, this analysis will also

factor heavily in the branch’s ongoing efforts

to support regional oversight of the CWSRF

programs. 

CWSRF Oversight

During 2016, the CWSRF Branch collaborated

with EPA Regional staff to update the SRF 

Annual Review Guidance and associated 

review checklists. The purpose of these tools 

is to assess state successes in implementing 

the activities identified in state Intended Use

Plans and Annual Reports and to determine

compliance with federal requirements. These

updates allow the Region to conduct a more

thorough review and foster more in-depth discussions with

states regarding their success, concerns, and plans for the

future of their CWSRF programs. Staff from EPA Headquarters

accompanied the Regions during annual reviews in 11 states

to ensure that the annual review guidance and checklists are

being used correctly, engage in oversight of the Regional review

process, and maintain close working relationships between

federal and state partners.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 6

FY 2017 Funding in President’s Budget

This year, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

(WIFIA) program focused on establishing the administrative

framework needed for the program to begin receiving

applications for credit assistance in FY 2017. This included

developing a credit subsidy model, drafting program

implementation and fee rules, developing application

materials, and establishing operating procedures. The Office

of Management and Budget signaled that EPA made sufficient

progress in standing up the program by requesting $15

million for WIFIA credit assistance and $5 million for WIFIA

administrative support in the FY 2017 President’s Budget.

WIFIA Information Collection Request

In order to collect application materials for credit assistance in

FY 2017, the WIFIA program initiated the Information Collection

Request (ICR) required under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The ICR Supporting Statement, draft Letter of Interest, and

draft Application were published in the Federal Register on May

23, 2016 for a 60-day public comment period. EPA received

seven comments. In addition, the WIFIA program conducted

consultations with nine potential applicants. Based on this

feedback, it revised the supporting statement and application

materials and EPA published these revised versions for

additional public comment in the Federal Register on September

8, 2016.

WaterCARE

In January 2016, the Water Infrastructure and Resiliency

Finance Center (WIRFC) began providing direct financial

planning technical assistance to 10 communities across the

country through the Water Community Assistance for Resiliency

and Excellence (WaterCARE) initiative. WaterCARE provides

this predevelopment financial planning assistance to selected

communities that lack the resources to effectively plan needed

water infrastructure development. Case studies on these

projects are being developed to identify systemic solutions to

expand federal, state, and local commitments to predevelopment

investment.

Compendium of Utility Customer Assistance 

Programs

WIRFC developed a compendium of Utility Customer Assistance

Programs to identify programs developed by utilities to help low

and fixed income customers having difficulty paying their wate

and sewer bills. This compendium reviewed 795 drinking water

and wastewater utilities and found that 228 utilities offer a total

of 365 programs. The compendium was released in April 2016

and a webinar was held in June 2016 to highlight innovative

customer assistance programs from the San Antonio Water

System in San Antonio, TX and the Portland Water Bureau in

Portland, OR.

Funding and Financing Water Infrastructure for 

Communities in Need

In July 2016, WIRFC convened a national dialogue on Funding

and Financing Water Infrastructure for Communities in Need

that drew 148 leaders representing federal, state, and local

governments, as well as non-governmental organizations

including state associations, national water sector associations,

foundations, and advocacy groups. Speakers shared best

practices in coordinating funding and showcasing leadingedge

local financing solutions. These discussions identified

key priorities for future activities to replicate state and local

successes of states and communities in identifying financing

approaches for Communities in Need.

Water Infrastructure Finance and 

Innovation Act

Water Infrastructure and Resiliency 

Finance Center
7 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program 

The U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP)

provides grant assistance to communities 100 kilometers north

and south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The grant assistance

is for planning, designing, and constructing drinking water

and wastewater infrastructure. Many economically 

distressed communities along the U.S.-Mexico border lack

the resources to secure planning and construction funding of

critically needed infrastructure. The BWIP, one of the few federal

programs that provides both financial and technical assistance,

helps communities to be able to afford access to safe

drinking water and sanitation, reducing public health risks and

environmental impact from raw sewage discharges. In FY 2016,

the program provided first-time access to safe drinking water to

3,700 homes and first time access to adequate sanitation to

45,000 homes. Also, the program’s technical assistance

provides hands-on management and technical oversight for

planning, engineering, environmental review and design; this

technical assistance is a critical bridge between proposed

projects and actual project construction.

Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Allocation

The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside provides assistance to tribal

communities through the distribution of grants for the

construction of wastewater treatment systems. As of December

2015, about 6.5 percent of tribal homes lacked access to safe

drinking water and/or basic sanitation services. A lack of clean

water infrastructure in tribal communities threatens the health of

residents who often rely on local wildlife and fish for food and on

the nearest water body for drinking water. During FY 2016, EPA

provided $30 million for 82 projects to improve sanitation for over

7,700 homes. OWM continues to lead the multi-agency Tribal

Infrastructure Task Force. The Task Force is facilitating 

coordination among federal partners and works to ensure that 

built infrastructure meets or exceeds its design life.

Alaska Native Villages

Since its inception in 1996, the Alaska Native Village and Rural

Communities Grant Program (ANV) has distributed nearly $520

million in funds for drinking water and sanitation services in the

280 Alaskan native and non-native rural villages. Funds are used

for the planning, design, construction and/or repair of new or

improved water and wastewater systems. Communities can also

use the funding for training and technical assistance in system

operations and maintenance. In FY 2016, the ANV program

provided $20 million in grants for 10 projects affecting 1,900

homes.

Clean Water Act Section 106 Grants 

Section 106 of the Clean Water Act authorizes EPA to provide

federal assistance to states, territories, the District of Columbia,

interstate agencies and eligible tribes to establish and implement

water pollution control programs. This funding supports ambient

water quality monitoring, water quality standard and total

maximum daily load development, National Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System (NPDES) permitting and enforcement,

training and public information. EPA awarded approximately

$229 million in section 106 funding to prevent and control water

pollution in FY 2016.

State and Interstate Water Pollution Control 

Grants

EPA provided more than $185 million in section 106 grant

funding to state and interstate agencies to protect and restore

water bodies. Increasingly, EPA and states are working together

to develop basin-wide approaches to water quality management.

The grant program fosters a watershed protection approach

at the state level by looking at state water quality problems

holistically and targeting finances to the most important

problems.

Grants
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 8

Tribal Water Pollution Control Grants

Section 106 grants are a crucial, dedicated source of funding

for developing, maintaining, and expanding tribal programs

designed to prevent, control and eliminate water pollution. In FY

2016, the tribal set-aside was approximately $25.7 million. Of

the 565 federally recognized tribes, approximately 330 meet the

criteria to receive section 106 funding, and 271 of these tribes

are currently eligible to receive grants.

State and Tribal Multipurpose Grants 

In 2016, Congress provided $21 million to fund state and tribal

multipurpose grants. States used a portion of this funding to

initiate 27 water pollution control projects. A $1 million tribal 

setasidewas used by 48 eligible tribes to support implementation 

of their Clean Water Act water quality standards programs. 

State and Tribal Water Monitoring Initiative 

Using a $17.7 million set-aside, OWM and the Office of Water’s 

Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds worked with states 

and tribes to enhance their water quality monitoring programs

and implement a multi-year, statistically valid survey of the 

nation’s waters. In FY 2016, states and tribes conducted 

sampling and reported water quality monitoring data for the 

National Wetlands Conditions Assessment. The monitoring 

initiative allows EPA, states and tribes to report on the condition 

of the nation’s waters and make progress toward assessing

trends in water condition in a scientifically defensible manner.
9 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Guidance

Moving Toward Sustainability: Sustainable and 

Effective Practices for Creating Your Water Utility 

Roadmap 

In FY 2016, OWM published the "Moving Toward Sustainability:

Sustainable and Effective Practices for Creating Your Water

Utility Roadmap." The guidance is intended to help utilities

implement proven and effective practices over time to improve

their operations and move toward sustainability, at a pace

consistent with their needs and the needs of their communities.

The guidance describes practices that should help utilities save

money, assure water supply reliability, become more energy

and water efficient, and increase resiliency to disasters and

climate change. Several major water sector associations and

leading utilities endorsed the guidance. Following the release,

OWM participated in two sessions at the Water Environment

Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference and initiated

webinars to highlight utilities implementing sustainable practices

based on the guidance. 

Taking the Next Step on Effective Utility 

Management 

Working with a group of leading utilities and associations, OWM

completed Taking the Next Step on Effective Utility Management, 

which contains a revised version of the “Attributes of Effectively 

Managed Utilities and Keys to Management Success,” first 

endorsed by EPA in 2007. During Water Week 2016, a ceremony 

celebrated the release of this report. The revised Effective Utility 

Management framework was presented at the Utility 

Management Conference in January 2016. OWM also initiated a 

process to revise the Effective Utility Management Primer with a 

group of leading utilities and hosted a meeting of this group to

get their input.

Making the Right Choices: Using Sustainability 

Criteria in Infrastructure Decision Making Guide

To help utilities ensure sustainability considerations are part

of their planning processes, in FY 2016 OWM completed

Making the Right Choices: Using Sustainability Criteria in

Infrastructure Decision Making. This guide helps utilities use

various sustainability criteria as they identify and select the most

appropriate infrastructure for their operations. OWM also worked

with the Camden County Municipal Utility Authority to use the

guide as they developed their Combined Sewer Overflow LongTerm Control Plan.

Launched Utilities of the Future Program

2016 marked the inaugural launch of the Utilities of the

Future program (UOTF). With input from OWM, UOTF is a

partnership of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies

(NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water

Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and the WateReuse

Association. This program recognizes the advancement and

exceptional work of wastewater utilities while supporting the

adoption of the UOTF business model. Sixty-one public and

private utilities from across the United States, Canada, and

Denmark were selected for recognition this year. OWM hosted

three national webinars to highlight programs by leading

utilities to adopt practices based on the UOTF business model. 

Sustainable Water Sector Utilities
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 10

Municipal Water Recycling Technical Assistance

OWM is supporting the implementation of the March 2016 

Presidential Memorandum on Drought and the accompanying 

document, Long-Term Drought Resilience: Federal Action Plan 

of the Drought Resilience Partnership. The goal is to build 

national capabilities for long-term drought resilience. OWM’s

role with the Agency workgroup is to help develop municipal 

water recycling technical assistance. 

Summary of State Post-Construction 

Stormwater Standards Updated

OWM continues to support states and EPA regional offices on 

the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) program. In 

2016, OWM published an updated document entitled 

“Summary of State Post Construction Stormwater Standards.” It 

provides a comprehensive summary of post-construction 

standards for stormwater discharges from newly developed and 

redeveloped sites for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

These standards are implemented through MS4 permits, 

construction general permits and state regulations. 

Tools, Strategies and Lessons Learned from 

EPA Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance 

Projects 

Released in early 2016, the Tools, Strategies and Lessons 

Learned from EPA Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance 

Projects report summarizes successes and lessons learned 

from EPA’s green infrastructure technical assistance program. It 

matches problems with real-world, tested solutions. With a guide 

to green infrastructure practices and a table of benefits, city 

managers can share the report with potential collaborators and 

stakeholders. 

Best Practices to Prevent Hazardous and Toxic 

Discharges to Sewers 

The Pretreatment Team has been working with Office of

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and Office of

Environmental Information (OEI) to develop advanced electronic

tools and a best practices memorandum as additional resources

to NPDES permit writers in preventing hazardous waste and

toxic chemical discharges to publicly owned treatment works.

In addition, an accompanying fact sheet has been developed

to explain industry notification requirements. The focus is to

improve access to EPA databases, and promoting best practices

for developing and implementing NPDES permits issued to

publicly owned treatment works to ensure all hazardous and

toxic industrial discharges are accounted for. The OECA-OEI

developed tools are currently available.

Update to the 1994 Industrial User Inspection and 

Sampling Manual 

The Pretreatment Team and OECA have been leading an effort

to revise and update guidance manuals, some more than 20

years old. The Industrial User Inspection and Sampling Manual

is expected to be finalized in 2016 and will feature updated

guidance that is more closely aligned with our current 

regulations and modern methods.

Tools and Technical Assistance
11 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Reviewed and Provided Input to OST’s Effluent 

Guideline Plan 

Many of the Office of Science and Technology’s (OST) Effluent

Guidelines are implemented by OWM through the Pretreatment

Program and industrial NPDES permit assistance, and thus

OWM also assists in the development of the Preliminary 2016

Effluent Guidelines Plan. The Industrial Branch has arranged

calls and Q&A sessions with state and regional pretreatment

coordinators and NPDES permit staff to communicate EPA’s plan

to stakeholders and solicit feedback on industries that states and

regions recommend further study or potential revision.

CWSRF Green Infrastructure Policy and Best 

Practices Guide

In January 2016, EPA released its Green Infrastructure Policy

for the CWSRF program. The policy encourages cost efficient

investments in sustainable infrastructure and acknowledges

green infrastructure’s potential to offer affordable, longterm

solutions to many surface water quality problems. As a

complementary piece to the Green Infrastructure Policy, EPA

released a best practices guide for funding green infrastructure

in the CWSRF program. The document highlights state practices

for incentivizing green infrastructure, including marketing and

outreach, prioritization, financial incentives, technical assistance,

and partnerships.

Wastewater Technology and Research 

In 2016, OWM continued to provide technical support to EPA

Regions and Office of Water program offices on wastewater

technology performance areas and to actively collaborate with

internal and external stakeholders on wastewater studies and

research projects. Areas of focus included nutrient removal

and recovery, energy management, and water reuse. OWM’s

research coordination efforts included collaborating with Office

of Research and Development in various wastewater projects

of the EPA Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research

plan.

Collaboration with external stakeholders included active

participation on the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation

(WE&RF) Research Council and multiple WE&RF and Water

Research Foundation (WRF) project steering committees as

well as the WEF/WE&RF Leaders Innovation for Technology

Forum. The Leaders Innovation for Technology workgroup

activities aimed at promoting and expediting the development of

sustainable and innovative wastewater technologies and sharing

related information with industry stakeholders.

Release of the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey

In January 2016, OWM released the Clean Watersheds Needs

Survey, which showed that $271 billion is needed to maintain

and improve the nation’s wastewater infrastructure, including

the pipes that carry wastewater to treatment plants, the

technology that treats the water, and methods for managing

stormwater runoff. The survey, conducted every four years in

response to Clean Water Act Sections 205(a) and 516, is a

comprehensive assessment of capital needs to meet water

quality goals set in the Clean Water Act. During the survey,

states and EPA collected information about publicly owned

wastewater collection and treatment facilities; stormwater and

combined sewer overflow control facilities; and decentralized

and onsite wastewater treatment systems. This report

represents the Agency’s 16th national survey on the needs of

publicly owned treatment works.
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 12

NPDES Training Courses 

In FY 2016, OWM continued to support new state and EPA

Regional NPDES permit writers through the NPDES Permit

Writers’ Course. The NPDES Permit Writers’ Course has trained

thousands of permit writers over more than two decades on the

fundamentals of NPDES permit development. OWM conducted

five week-long NPDES permit courses at sites across the

country and incorporated new materials that highlight technology

innovations and NextGen monitoring considerations.

EPA’s NPDES Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) course covers the

programmatic and technical elements of implementing WET in

permits. The course has been taught by experienced instructors

for several years and has been well received by EPA Regions

and their states. Due to an ongoing need for easily accessible

and web-based training, EPA developed a nine-module NPDES

WET online course. It is user-friendly, contains enhanced

teaching features and is available on EPA’s NPDES website.

NPDES staff, including permit writers, can complete the course

at their own pace and use it as a reference when developing

NPDES permits with WET requirements.

OWM also launched advanced technical training on developing

nutrient requirements for NPDES permit writers. After piloting

the training in summer 2013, OWM held four three-day

courses through FY 2016. Permit writers from all 10 EPA

Regional offices and more than 42 states exchanged

information and best practices on identifying applicable water

quality standards, determining the need for effluent controls,

and calculating numeric permit conditions for nitrogen and

phosphorus.

Operations and Maintenance Training to 

Underserved Communities

Small and rural wastewater systems face a challenge as new

utility operators/owners and community leaders need training

and technical assistance on wastewater technology. Without this

training and technical assistance, the infrastructure may not fully

achieve its useful life and required effluent quality. In 2011, OWM

began Small Water System Technical Training Workshops. Since

then, OWM has delivered 18 trainings to 579 participants from

tribes and small rural communities. The workshops focus on how

best to operate, troubleshoot and maintain small wastewater and

water systems to ensure sustainability and resiliency through

proper operation and maintenance. OWM held training in FY

2016 in Connecticut as part of the Tribal Lands and Environment

Forum. Attendees included tribal utility operators, tribal leaders,

and federal support staff from Indian Health Service and EPA.

Sustainable Management of Rural and Small 

Systems Training

OWM continues to make strides in promoting effective utility

management with rural and small systems in partnership with

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Using our guide

on Sustainable Management of Rural and Small Systems,

training workshops were provided by the National Rural Water

Association (NRWA) through an EPA grant of $1.178 million

dollars. The program also targets onsite or decentralized

systems to help improve water quality and provides instruction

on Sustainable Utility Management using tools developed

by EPA and USDA. Workshops introduce local officials to

the ten key areas of effectively managed systems, as well

as provide instruction and assistance on how to conduct a

system assessment based on the key management areas.

Follow-up assistance will help local officials prioritize areas for

improvement and develop measures of progress. In FY 2016,

OWM conducted 56 Sustainable Management workshops for

small and rural systems, reaching 422 systems and service

providers.

Training
13 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Partnerships

WaterSense

10th Anniversary of WaterSense 

In June 2016, WaterSense recognized the 10th anniversary

of the program’s launch in June 2006. Since that time, we’ve

seen the number of our partners grow to more than 1,700 and

labeled products grow to more than 17,000. More than 2,600

irrigation professionals have been certified by WaterSense

labeled programs and close to 800 homes have earned the

WaterSense label for achieving efficiency indoors and outdoors.

Engaging the public and raising awareness

of the need to be more water-efficient is an

important program goal. To achieve this goal,

WaterSense has a number of campaigns

it promotes with its partners. The program

also maintains a dynamic public website and

active Facebook and Twitter accounts to

further engage the public year-round.

WaterSense 2015 Partners of the 

Year 

On October 8, 2015, WaterSense presented 

the 8th annual Partner of the Year Awards 

at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference. 

Four partners were recognized with 

Sustained Excellence Awards for their 

continuous high level of support: 

• Kohler Co. (third time)

• Delta Co. (first time)

• The Home Depot (first time)

• KB Home (first time)

Seven partners were recognized as Partner of the 

Year: 

• Promotional Partners of the Year: Texas Agrilife Research and

Extension Urban Solutions Center 

• Promotional Partners of the Year (Utility): Cobb County

Water System (GA), City of Charlottesville (VA), Murray City 

Corporation (UT) 

• Manufacturer Partner of the Year: The Toro Company

• Professional Certifying Organizations of the Year: SonomaMarin (CA) Saving Water Partnership 

• Licensed Certification Provider: Energy Inspectors, Corp.

WaterSense also presented six Excellence 

Awards:

• Excellence in Outreach and Education: New Hampshire

Department of Environmental Services and 

Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning 

District 

• Excellence in Strategic Collaboration:

Colorado Springs Utilities (CO) 

• Excellence in Promoting the Water/Energy

Nexus: Puget Sound Energy (Washington) 

• Excellence in Sprinkler Spruce Up Activities:

Municipal Water District of Orange County 

(CA) 

• Excellence in Promoting Labeled Products:

Denver Water 

Helping Americans Fix Leaks, 

Shower Better, and Spruce Up 

Sprinklers When in Drought (or not) 

WaterSense consumer campaigns continue 

to serve as a great way to engage program 

partners and the public. The 8th annual Fix a Leak Week 

campaign in March saw at least 60 events around the country. 

In 2016, WaterSense introduced a new Leak Detective theme 

to the campaign and several partners used the detective theme 

to engage students to become leak detectives in their schools 

and at home. By the end of the campaign, media outreach 

had resulted in more than 2,600 articles in outlets reaching 

a circulation of 223 million and several local television news 

affiliates. WaterSense also continued to promote its fall Shower 

Better and spring Sprinkler Spruce Up campaigns. As summer 

heated up, WaterSense reminded Americans to save water 

outdoors to relievestress on water supplies, particularly in those 

parts of the country experiencing drought conditions.
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 14

Getting Down to Business with WaterSense 

As awareness of the need for water efficiency grows,

WaterSense is more frequently asked to help the commercial

and institutional sector. In 2016, WaterSense partnered with

ENERGY STAR on a Tackling WaterSense webinar series aimed

at ENERGY STAR commercial building partners and users of

their Portfolio Manager tracking system. ENERGY STAR also

included WaterSense in their National Building Competition

Bootcamp which challenges buildings to cut energy and water

waste. WaterSense also continued its successful collaboration

with ENERGY STAR in working towards the release of a water

score for multifamily buildings.

4th Annual SepticSmart Week 

The Decentralized Systems program held its 4th annual

SepticSmart Week in September 2016. SepticSmart Week

is a national education program designed to promote proper

septic system care and maintenance by homeowners. Nearly

one quarter of all American households—more than 26 million

homes—depend on septic systems to treat their wastewater.

Properly designed and maintained septic systems protect

public health, preserve valuable water resources and maintain

economic vitality in a community.

Working with partners, EPA encourages homeowners and

communities to learn more about caring for septic systems. In

addition to educating homeowners, SepticSmart also provides

online resources for industry practitioners, local governments

and community organizations, providing access to tools to help

educate their clients and residents. Outreach for this year’s

SepticSmart Week included:

• Proclamations for Governors, Mayors, or communities to

declare participation in SepticSmart Week; 

• A field trip to the Prince George’s County Browns Station Road

site for EPA employees to directly participate in SepticSmart 

Week and to learn more about green infrastructure, low impact 

development, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems;

• An updated Online Toolkit with materials targeted to

homeowners; 

• A guide on the “Top 10 Ways to Be SepticSmart;”

• A new infographic;

• A blog on “How to Be SepticSmart” as a new homeowner; and

• Social media with daily tweets.
15 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Innovative Challenges

Campus RainWorks Challenge 

The Green Infrastructure program held the 4th annual Campus

RainWorks Challenge, a green infrastructure design competition

created to engage college and university students in reinventing

our water infrastructure and developing green infrastructure

systems to reduce stormwater pollution and build resilience

to climate change. The challenge targets the next generation

of engineers, architects, and planners in a hands-on learning

experience to design stormwater management features on

campus.

More than 75 student teams submitted green infrastructure

designs for their respective campuses to compete in one

of two categories — master plan or demonstration project. The

University of Texas at Arlington and Stevens Institute of

Technology were the first- and second-place winners in the

master plan category, and The University of Maryland and The

University of California Berkley were first and second

in the demonstration project category. The Green 

Infrastructure Program announced the fifth annual Challenge 

in July of 2016.

Nutrient Recycling Challenge

EPA partnered with USDA, pork and dairy producers,

and environmental and scientific experts to host the Nutrient

Recycling Challenge, a competition to develop affordable

technologies that recycle nutrients from livestock manure. During

the four-phase competition, innovators will turn their concepts

into designs and eventually into working technologies that

livestock farms will use in pilot projects.

In Phase I, launched in November 2015, EPA received 75 

concept papers from around the world and selected 34 to 

continue on to Phase II of the challenge. EPA invited the 34 

selected teams to a two-day summit in March 2016 at the White 

House Eisenhower Executive Office Building and World Wildlife 

Fund in Washington, DC, and awarded a total of $30,000 in cash 

prizes to the top 10 submissions. The summit provided a forum 

for innovators to meet experts and other innovators, as well as 

learn about resources to develop their ideas into real-life

technologies in the subsequent phases, which began in the fall

of 2016. 

Working Together through MOUs

Decentralized Wastewater Memorandum of 

Understanding

EPA and 18 partner organizations signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) to address the challenges faced by

decentralized systems. The partnership has grown since it began 

in 2005 with eight public and private water sector organizations. 

Under this MOU, EPA and the partner organizations work

together to improve decentralized wastewater treatment system

performance; local decision-making; and accountability, control,

and oversight. The group supports the principles outlined

in the Voluntary Management Guidelines and Management

Handbook for Decentralized Systems developed by the OWM

Decentralized Systems program and actively participates in

SepticSmart Week.

Copper Brake Memorandum of Understanding

On January 21, 2015, EPA, states, and the automotive industry

signed an agreement to reduce the use of copper and other

materials in motor vehicle brake pads. The agreement calls for

reducing copper in brake pads to <5 percent by weight in 2021
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 16

and 0.5 percent by 2025. In addition to copper, this voluntary

initiative reduces mercury, lead, cadmium, asbestiform fibers,

and chromium-six salts in motor vehicle brake pads. The

initiative will decrease the amount of these materials

Aquaculture Memorandum of Understanding 

In 2015 and 2016 OWM chaired a federal workgroup to develop

a coordinated federal permitting process for offshore aquaculture

in the Gulf of Mexico. The workgroup, composed of EPA

and seven other federal agencies, produced three guidance

documents to provide information to potential operators of

off-shore aquaculture facilities on the federal permitting and

authorizations, including a Guide to the Application Process

for Offshore Aquaculture in U.S. Federal Waters of the Gulf of

Mexico, a Pre-Application Meeting Checklist, and a description

for a Baseline Environmental Survey. In addition, the federal

workgroup developed a MOU to facilitate efficient collaboration

in the permitting of offshore aquaculture operations.

Collaboration and Synergy

Industrial National Enforcement Initiative 

Workgroup

OECA selects National Enforcement Initiatives every three

years to focus resources on national environmental problems

where there is significant non-compliance with laws and where

federal enforcement efforts can make a difference. To reduce

pollutants that impact surface and drinking water quality, the

current initiative focuses on industrial discharges from chemical

manufacturing, food manufacturing, metals, and mining. Since

many of these industries are both direct and indirect dischargers,

members of OWM’s Pretreatment Team and industrial permit

experts support the workgroup by providing input to the

development of the initiative strategy and assisting with key

stakeholder outreach.

Vessel Discharge Research

The Industrial program is overseeing a $2.2 million interagency

agreement with the Naval Research Laboratory to: (1) evaluate

the effectiveness of combining open ocean exchange and

treatment for ballast water and (2) investigate novel, indirect

sensing methods to assess and quantify biofouling loads on

vessel hulls. These research efforts support, among other

things, the Industrial Program’s development and administration

of the Vessel General Permit as a mechanism to control

propagule pressure of potential invasive species transported by

vessels.

Green Infrastructure Learning 

In October 2015, EPA and the Environmental Finance Centers

of the University of Maryland and Syracuse University hosted a

National Green Infrastructure Learning Lab in College Park, MD.

The objective of the Learning Lab was to provide a hands-on

learning experience for communities interested in implementing

green infrastructure, and an opportunity to engage in dialogue

with members of the Green Infrastructure Collaborative. The

Learning Lab agenda included sessions for peer-to-peer

exchange on integrating flood mitigation with stormwater

management using the Climate Assessment Tool Option of

EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator, as well as on harvesting

rainwater in drought and population stressed regions. This

event meets commitments under the President’s Priority

Agenda Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural

Resources to provide support to 25 communities in utilizing

green infrastructure for stormwater management.

Publicly Owned Treatment Works’ Management 

of Bio-Contamination

OWM collaborated with internal and external groups to

address the management of bio-contaminated materials by

publicly owned treatement works (POTWs). This partnership

helped track and compile available information related to

management of Ebola patient waste and other hazardous
17 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

waste from hospitals with Ebola patients. It also monitored

efforts to address appropriate Standard Operating Procedures

for hospitals treating Ebola patient wastewater. The focus was

discharges to POTWs and included identification of research,

data and information gaps. The effort assisted in updating

current CDC guidance on wastewater management and

disposal, as well as the use of Personal Protection Equipment.

The partnership improved preparedness in the wastewater

management field for addressing Ebola and other future

pathogens of concern.

Water Finance Forums 

In partnership with EPA’s Regional Offices, the Water Finance

Center holds regional Water Finance Forums. The purpose

of the forums are to bring together communities with water

infrastructure financing needs in an interactive peer-to-peer

networking format, share how local utilities have financed

resilient water infrastructure projects, and provide the 

opportunity to meet key regional funding

• Addison, TX (September 2015) – Collaborated with Region

6 and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance 

Center. Topics focused on funding resilient and sustainable 

infrastructure, disaster preparedness and recovery, 

communicating the value of water to the public, and state 

funding for planning and construction.

• Iselin, NJ (December 2015) – Collaborated with Region 2 and

the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center. Topics 

focused on communicating the value of water to the public, state 

funding for planning and construction, and identifying financial 

indicators.

• Portland, OR (March 2016) – Collaborated with Region 10,

the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the 

Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority. Topics focused on 

communicating the value of water to the public, state funding 

for planning and construction, funding resilient and sustainable 

infrastructure, and disaster preparedness and recovery. 

• Big Stone Gap, VA (June 2016) – Collaborated with Region

3 and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance 

Center. Topics focused on expanding the reach of resources 

and innovation to meet critical water and wastewater needs in 

Central Appalachia. A host of expert panels discussed funding 

eligibilities, partnering opportunities for financial success, 

projects that leveraged multiple sources of funding, and 

successful technical and financial planning.

Hydraulic Fracturing: Key Role in Assisting 

Regions 4 & 6 in Addressing Hydraulic 

Fracturing Chemical Discharges

Hydraulic fracturing has been an issue of significant public

interest since the late 1990s and the upsurge of the shale

gas extraction industry. Environmental groups have raised

issues regarding chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing and

the effects of their discharge on the marine environment. The

Industrial Branch developed permit language that addresses

concerns about offshore discharge of chemicals used for well

treatment, such as fracturing. The permit language will require

that industry collect and submit information of their practices and

the chemicals that are discharge, and to test the toxicity of those 

discharges.
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 18

U.S. Poultry and Egg’s Educational Videos on 

Environmental Management 

As part of its efforts to collaborate with animal agriculture to

protect water quality, EPA supported the U.S. Poultry & Egg

Association in producing a series of educational videos on

environmental management. Released in January 2016, the

videos discuss topics including Clean Water Act requirements for 

Confined Animal Feeding Operations, the importance of 

environmental management, nutrient management planning and 

implementation, and perspectives from producers. These videos 

illustrate how industry can produce poultry and eggs while 

protecting the environment and the importance of nutrient

management planning for water quality.

EPA’s Next Generation Compliance

This initiative promotes the use of new drivers for compliance

and performance in rules, permits, and enforcement actions to

help make environmental programs more effective and deliver

their intended benefits. EPA is seeking to improve compliance

and increase environmental benefits by implementing Next

Generation Compliance Principles where possible. In FY

2016, OWM worked with OECA and Office of General Counsel

(OGC) to develop and enhance these strategies when applied

to NPDES permitting.

U.S.-China Scientific Cooperation Exchange 

Program

OWM participated on an interagency technical team as part of

the ORD-USDA sponsored U.S.-China Scientific Cooperation

Exchange Program. The focus of the program is water reuse, 

water efficiency and sustainable agriculture. The technical

exchange included August 2016 site visits and meetings in 

Beijing, Gansu Province, and Liaoning Province. The Chinese 

technical team plans to visit the US later this year, with the final 

technical exchange concluding in China in early 2017.
19 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

Regulations

Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 

System Electronic Reporting Rule 

The final NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule was published in

the Federal Register on October 22, 2015 and became effective

on December 21, 2015. The rule requires the conversion from

paper to electronic reporting for discharge monitoring reports,

general permits forms, and several program reports. This action

will save time and resources for permittees, states, tribes,

territories, and the U.S. government while increasing data

accuracy, improving compliance, and supporting EPA’s goal of

providing better protection of the nation’s waters. In 2016, OWM

staff worked closely with OECA to develop implementation and 

outreach materials for Regions and states implementing this 

final rule. Additionally, OWM and OECA continued work to

develop electronic reporting tools and make improvements to

the ICIS-NPDES database to accommodate electronic reporting

requirements.

NPDES Updates Rule 

On May 18, 2016, EPA proposed the NPDES Applications and

Program Updates Rule. The proposal would make targeted

changes to the existing regulations and would not reopen them 

for other specific or comprehensive revision. EPA sought: 

comment on eliminating regulatory and application form

inconsistencies; improving permit documentation, transparency

and oversight; clarifying existing regulations; and deleting

outdated provisions. EPA also sought public comment on

potential ways to enhance public notice and participation in the

permitting process. With these proposed revisions and requests

for public comment, EPA aims to clarify who is regulated; more

clearly identify applicable requirements for compliance; and

improve transparency by providing permitting authorities and

the public with improved information about NPDES permitted

dischargers. The public comment period closed August 2, 2016

and EPA received over 14,000 written comments in the docket.

EPA will consider and respond to all comments while formulating

the final rule and revising the application forms.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System

General Permit Remand Rule

EPA is finalizing changes to its regulations that govern how small

municipal separate storm sewer systems obtain coverage under

NPDES general permits. By order of the Ninth Circuit, EPA will

finalize a rule by November 17, 2016 to address procedural

requirements for issuing stormwater general permits to small

municipal separate storm sewer systems under NPDES.

Implementation of the 316(b) Rule for Cooling

Water Intake Structures

The Industrial Branch has been implementing the final 316(b)

Existing Facilities Rule since it became effective in October

2014. The rule has specific application and permit requirements

for existing facilities that withdraw more than 2 million gallons

per day of cooling water through intake structures, primarily

power plants and industrial facilities. OWM continues to support

the Office of Water’s OST in litigation resolution. The Industrial

Branch has done extensive outreach to the regulated community

through webinars and conferences and direct technical support

with the EPA Regions. The Industrial Branch continues to work

with the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service on implementing the rule provisions regarding

impacts to threatened and endangered species from the cooling

water intake structures.

Implementation of the Newly Issued

Steam Electric Rule

The Industrial Branch supported the Water’s OST to finalize

standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent

Limitation Guideline that became effective in January 2016. The

guideline establishes the first nationally applicable limits on the

amounts of toxic metals and other harmful pollutants that steam

electric power plants are allowed to discharge in several of their

largest sources of wastewater. The new standards eliminate the

discharge of certain existing wastestreams and address new

Rules
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 20

wastestreams created from air pollution controls particularly from

coal fired facilities. The Industrial Branch conducted outreach

to the regulated community through webinars and direct

technical support with the EPA Regions to ensure

implementation efforts are begun timely and lead to

compliance with the guideline requirements.

Dental Amalgam Rule

The Pretreatment Team is an essential part of the rule

development team, led by OST, working to promulgate a

final rulemaking on dental amalgam discharges. The goal of

the proposed pretreatment standards, which are anticipated

to be finalized by the end of 2016, is to reduce the largest

source of mercury discharges to POTWs while minimizing

the regulatory burden on dentists, POTWs, and state

agencies. The Pretreatment Team plays a key role in

understanding and communicating the complex pretreatment

regulations, and conducting outreach to stakeholders to

ensure buy-in and regulatory effectiveness. 

Forest Roads Decision

On June 27, 2016, OWM published in the Federal Register its 

decision that no additional regulations are needed to address 

stormwater discharges from forest roads under the Clean 

Water Act at this time. State, federal, regional, tribal 

government, and private sector programs already exist 

nationwide to address water quality problems caused by 

discharges from forest roads. Many of these programs have 

been improved and updated in recent years. Program 

implementation rates are generally high and have been shown 

to be effective in protecting water quality when properly 

implemented. These programs employ a variety of approaches 

that are tailored to address regional and local differences. 

OWM concluded that efforts to help strengthen existing 

programs would be more effective in further addressing forest 

road discharges than superimposing an additional federal 

regulatory layer over them. OWM has initiated efforts to establish 

a multi-stakeholder discussion group for the purpose of forming 

an ongoing dialogue on program improvements, technical and 

policy issues, research results, state of the art technologies, 

success stories, and solutions to problems areas related to 

forest roads discharges. 

Sludge/Biosolids Electronic Reporting Form

As part of Phase I of the NPDES Electronic Reporting

rulemaking, OECA began creating the reporting forms for the

Biosolids/Sewage Sludge Annual Report (40 CFR 503). These

are the forms that POTWs and other sewage sludge generators

will see when they log in to submit their annual reports. The

Pretreatment Team, along with OWM’s Water Infrastructure

Division, were members of the workgroup devoted to building

them. The Pretreatment Team and others in OWM played a key

role in identifying the necessary fields and any potential pitfalls

or legal questions that could arise from receiving these data in

electronic form. 

Public Notification for Combined Sewer 

Overflows in the Great Lakes 

In 2016, EPA began development of a new regulation

establishing public notification requirements for combined

sewer overflow discharges in the Great Lakes. This rulemaking

is in response to new requirements included in Section 425 of

the 2016 Appropriations Act. EPA is working closely with Great

Lakes states to develop these new requirements, which will

address the method of the notice, the contents of the notice,

and requirements for public availability of the notice. EPA also

sought input from the public through a public listening session

in September 2016 and stakeholder outreach throughout the

proposal development process. EPA will release the proposed 

rule for public comment in December of 2016 and aims to have

a final rule signed by December of 2017. This rule will help

ensure that the public, public health departments, and impacted
21 Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report

municipalities, such as downstream drinking water treatment

plants, have access to information about combined sewer

overflows in the Great Lakes basin.

PERMITS 

2015 Multi-Sector General Permit Finalized

On June 4, 2015, EPA issued the fourth iteration of EPA’s

industrial stormwater discharge permit, the Multi-Sector

General Permit, replacing the 2008 version. The permit

provides coverage for about 2,400 facilities in the states and

other areas where EPA is the stormwater permitting authority.

Significant general changes include that dischargers to federal

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,

and Liability Act sites in Region 10 must notify the Regional

EPA Office prior to obtaining permit coverage to determine

their eligibility for permit coverage (based on controls, etc.); a

requirement for electronic reporting; making information in the 

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan publicly accessible (on

Internet or in the Notice of Intent); and more rigorous

endangered species eligibility requirements.

Reviewing State and EPA Regional Office NPDES 

Programs 

To ensure a level of quality and consistency in NPDES permitting

nationwide, EPA conducts permit quality reviews. In FY 2016,

OWM and EPA Regional Offices conducted seven permit quality 

reviews site visits of state NPDES programs and continued 

monitoring the completion of recommended follow-up actions 

from prior permit quality reviews.

Pesticide General Permit Proposed

OWM proposed the 2016 Pesticide General Permit in the

Federal Register on January 26, 2016. The general permit was

first issued on October 31, 2011 and expires October 31, 2016.

The general permit is available in areas where EPA is the

permitting authority and regulates point source discharges of

biological pesticides and chemical pesticides that leave

a residue. EPA received 37 sets of public comments and is

currently reviewing them in order to finalize the Pesticide

General Permit in October 2016. 

Vessel General Permit Administration

The Industrial Branch leads the development and administration

of the Vessel General Permit, a permit that regulates 27

different types of discharges from more than 60,000 domestic

and foreign vessels greater than 79 feet in length to protect U.S. 

waters from negative effects from vessel discharges, including

the management of potentially invasive species from ballast

water and hull fouling. The current Vessel General Permit, in

effect through December 2018, includes both numeric effluent

limitations and required best management practices to minimize

the potential impacts from these discharges. As part of permit

administration, OWM developed and operates an electronic

reporting system (>50,000 reports annually) and email help desk

(>2,000 questions annually).

Addressed Major Challenges Associated

with Coal Ash Impoundment Dewatering and

Permitting of Seepage Discharges

Coal fired steam electric power plants have been moving

away from wet sluicing of coal ash and the associated waste

impoundments. The plants need to dewater and decommission

the impoundments when they are no longer used. The Industrial

Branch worked with the EPA Regions to ensure that permits

authorizing discharges of impoundment dewatering effluent 
Office of Wastewater Management 2015-2016 Annual Report 22

adequately address potential water quality issues as well as

community concerns regarding these temporary increases in

discharge volumes. In addition, many of these impoundments 

are not lined and have long term uncontrolled seepage 

discharges to nearby waters that have not been authorized 

by NPDES permits. The Industrial Branch worked with OECA 

and the EPA Regions to help address these discharges in 

NPDES permits and provide technical assistance in associated 

enforcement actions on these previously unauthorized 

discharges.

2017 Construction General Permit Proposed 

The draft 2017 Construction General Permit (CGP) was

proposed on April 11, 2016. The permit authorizes the discharge

of stormwater from construction sites that disturb one or more

acres of land, and from smaller sites that are part of a larger

common plan of development. This will be the sixth issuance

of the CGP. The draft 2017 CGP is similar to the existing 2012

CGP and includes effluent limitations (i.e., requirements for

erosion and sediment controls, and pollution prevention controls)

and requirements for self-inspections, corrective actions, staff

training, and development of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention

Plan. The 2017 CGP, once finalized, will replace the existing

permit, which expires February 16, 2017.

Offshore Oil & Gas: Significant Contributions 

and Assistance to Regions 4 and 6 in their 

Issuance of Offshore Oil and Gas Permits

Regions 4 and 6 maintain NPDES general permits that authorize

discharges from over 3,000 offshore oil and gas facilities.

Complex technical issues have arisen as the industry evolves

and moves more and more into ultra-deep waters of the Gulf of

Mexico. The Industrial Branch provided technical assistance in

understanding these issues in light of the historical context of the

permits and the evolution of the technology. In partnership with

the EPA Regions, we have authorized appropriate discharges

while ensuring protection of the marine environment.
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Wastewater Management

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (4201M)

Washington, DC 20460

EPA PUBLICATION NUMBER 832R16009

September 2016

 www.epa.gov/owm

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