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 3939.24 - Total Maximum Daily Load for Bacteria in Ballona Creek, Ballona Estuary, and Sepulvada Channel

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
This amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the
					 Los Angeles Region (Basin Plan) establishes a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
					 for bacteria in Ballona Creek, Ballona Estuary, and Sepulveda Channel, based on
					 a reference system approach which allows a set number of exceedances of the
					 applicable bacteria objectives for wet-weather days and both summer (April 1 to
					 October 31) and winter (November 1 to March 31) dry-weather days. Wet-weather
					 days are defined as any day receiving 0.1 inch of rain or more and three days
					 thereafter. There are four components of the TMDL. First, the TMDL sets numeric
					 water quality targets equal to the updated Basin Plan water contact recreation
					 objectives for marine and fresh waters (for Ballona Estuary and Sepulveda
					 Channel respectively), Basin Plan objectives for limited water contact
					 recreation (for Reach 2 of Ballona Creek), and the non-contact water recreation
					 Basin Plan objectives for Reach 1 of Ballona Creek. Second, the TMDL applies
					 the allowable maximum number of daily and weekly sampling days which may exceed
					 the single sample limits for the relevant bacterial indicators, specified in
					 the Basin Plan during summer dry-weather, winter dry-weather, and wet weather.
					 Third, the TMDL provides that all responsible jurisdictions and agencies within
					 a subwatershed are jointly responsible for complying with the waste load
					 allocations and that the responsible jurisdictions for the nonpoint sources are
					 responsible for complying with their load allocation. Fourth, the TMDL applies
					 the allowable exceedance days, and the rolling geometric bacteria density means
					 as specified in the Basin Plan as bacteriological water quality objectives and
					 stipulates these objectives must be achieved within six years for the summer
					 and winter dry weather period and within 14 years for the wet-weather
					 period.
The amendment identifies Los Angeles County Municipal
					 Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
					 System (NPDES) permit and the Caltrans Storm Water Permit, any future Phase II
					 MS4 permits, general NPDES permits, general industrial storm water permits,
					 general construction storm water permits, and the authority vested in the
					 Executive Officer by Water Code sections
					 13263,
					 13267, and
					 13383, and
					 other appropriate regulatory mechanisms as the principal regulatory tools to be
					 used to implement the TMDL.
By July 15, 2018, the TMDL shall be re-considered to
					 incorporate new information from technical or scientific studies, or to address
					 revisions to water quality standards, such as adoption of revised water quality
					 objectives based on recommendations from U.S. EPA.
This Basin Plan amendment was adopted by the Los Angeles
					 Water Board on June 8, 2006 (Resolution No. R10-006) and approved by the State
					 Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on November 15, 2006.
The Basin Plan amendment was revised by the Los Angeles
					 Water Board on June 7, 2012 (Resolution No. R12-008), and approved by the State
					 Water Board under Resolution No. 2013-0008 on. March 19, 2013.
1. New
					 section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 2-20-2007; amendment
					 approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2006-0092 on
					 11-15-2006; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 2-20-2007 (Register 2007, No. 8).
2. Amendments to section
					 summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 11-8-2013; amendments approved by
					 State Water Resources Control Board 3-19-2013 pursuant to Resolution No.
					 2013-0008; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 11-8-2013 (Register 2013, No. 45).