California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 4 - Regional Water Quality Control Boards › Chapter 1 - Water Quality Control Plans, Policies, and Guidelines › Article 4 - Los Angeles Region › Section 3939.19 - Site-Specific Objectives for Copper and Lead and a Total Maximum Daily Load for Metals in the los Angeles River and Its Tributaries

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
On September 6, 2007, the Los Angeles Regional Water
					 Quality Control Board (Los Angeles Water Board) adopted Resolution No.
					 R2007-014, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Los Angeles Region
					 (Basin Plan). This Basin Plan amendment establishes a Total Maximum Daily Load
					 (TMDL) to reduce metals in the Los Angeles River and its Tributaries for dry
					 weather (maximum daily flow in the River less than 500 cubic feet per second)
					 and wet weather (maximum daily flow in the River equal to or greater than 500
					 cubic feet per second). The TMDL:
(1)
				  sets dry- and wet-weather numeric targets to achieve California Toxics Rule
				  (CTR) numeric water quality criteria for metals;
(2) establishes a dry-weather loading
				  capacity for a single critical flow to meet the dry-weather numeric
				  target;
(3) establishes a
				  wet-weather loading capacity that varies with flow in order to meet wet-weather
				  numeric targets; and
(4) allocates
				  the dry- and wet-weather loading capacities among point and nonpoint sources of
				  metals, with the majority of the dry-weather allocation to the three largest
				  publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and the majority of the wet-weather
				  allocation to storm water sources.
The TMDL identifies the National Pollutant Discharge
					 Elimination System (NPDES) permits for three POTWs, the Los Angeles County and
					 Long Beach municipal storm water NPDES permits, the Caltrans storm water NPDES
					 permit, the general industrial and construction storm water NPDES permits,
					 "other NPDES permits" for low-volume, intermittent, non-stormwater discharges,
					 and the authority vested in the Executive Officer by Water Code section
					 13267 as the
					 principal regulatory mechanisms to implement the TMDL. The TMDL requires the
					 three POTWs to achieve dry- and wet-weather wasteload allocations at the time
					 of permit issuance, renewal, or re-opener, or by January 11, 2016 if advanced
					 treatment is required to reduce metals loads.
The TMDL requires the general industrial and construction
					 storm water permittees to achieve dry-weather wasteload allocations at the time
					 of permit issuance, renewal, or re-opener; it requires the general industrial
					 and construction storm water permittees to achieve wet-weather wasteload
					 allocations by January 11, 2016 and January 11, 2015, respectively. The TMDL
					 requires the municipal and Caltrans storm water permittees to achieve waste
					 load allocations in prescribed percentages of the watershed, achieving
					 dry-weather allocations in the entire watershed by January 11, 2024 and
					 wet-weather allocations in the entire watershed by January 11, 2028.
The TMDL identifies five jurisdictional groups to
					 coordinate implementation of the municipal storm water allocations and provides
					 that by April 11, 2007, each jurisdictional group must submit a coordinated
					 monitoring plan and by July 11, 2010, each jurisdictional group must submit an
					 implementation plan. The TMDL allows for special studies, such as site-specific
					 toxic effects and natural source studies, which are due by January 11, 2010.
					 The TMDL specifies that by January 11, 2011, the Los Angeles Water Board shall
					 reconsider the wasteload allocations and implementation schedule based on the
					 results of special studies.
On May 6th, 2010, the Los Angeles Water Board adopted
					 Resolution No. R10-003, amending the Basin Plan to revise the TMDL for metals
					 in the Los Angeles River and its tributaries. The revision adjusts the copper
					 numeric targets and loading capacity for Reaches 1-4 of the Los Angeles River
					 and the Burbank Western Channel, as well as the copper waste load allocations
					 for the Donald C. Tillman, Los Angeles-Glendale, and Burbank POTWs.
On April 9, 2015, the Los Angeles Water Board adopted
					 Resolution No. R15-004, amending the Basin Plan to adopt site-specific
					 objectives for lead and copper in the Los Angeles River watershed and to revise
					 the TMDL for metals in the Los Angeles River and tributaries. The revisions
					 update the numeric targets, loading capacity, and load and waste load
					 allocations for Reaches 1-4 of the Los Angeles River and Compton Creek, Rio
					 Hondo, Arroyo Seco, Verdugo Wash, Burbank Western Channel, and Tujunga Wash
					 based on site-specific objectives calculated using water effect ratios for
					 copper and a criteria recalculation for lead.
1. New
					 section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 12-9-2005; amendment
					 approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2005-0077 on
					 10-20-2005; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 12-9-2005 (Register 2005, No. 49).
2. Editorial correction of
					 HISTORY 1 (Register 2006, No. 3).
3. Amendment of section
					 summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 10-14-2008; amendment approved by
					 State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2008-0046 on 6-17-2008;
					 amendment approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 10-14-2008 (Register 2008, No. 42). These amendments are the result of a
					 petition for writ of mandate invalidating the originally approved amendment
					 (Resolution No. 2005-0077), and mandating the State Water Resources Control
					 Board and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board conduct alternatives
					 analysis. This analysis has been completed, and the State Water Resources
					 Control Board and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board have both
					 readopted this basin plan amendment.
4. New final paragraph
					 summarizing further amendments to basin plan filed 7-27-2011; amendments
					 adopted by Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Resolution No.
					 R10-003 on 5-6-2010; amendment approved by State Water Resources Control Board
					 Resolution No. 2011-0021 on 4-19-2011; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to
					 Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 7-27-2011 (Register 2011, No. 30).
5. Amendment of section heading
					 and new final paragraph summarizing further amendments to basin plan filed
					 7-11-2016; amendments approved by State Water Resources Control Board
					 Resolution No. 2015-0069 on 11-17-2015; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to
					 Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 7-11-2016 (Register 2016, No. 29).