California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 3 - State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards › Chapter 22 - State Policy for Water Quality Control › Section 2924 - Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
On June 19, 2012, the State Water Resources Control Board
				  (State Water Board) adopted Resolution No. 2012-0032, adopting the Water
				  Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite
				  Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS Policy). This Policy establishes a
				  statewide, risk-based, tiered approach for the regulation and management of
				  OWTS installations and replacements and sets the level of performance and
				  protection expected from OWTS.
In accordance with Water Code section
				  13290 et seq.,
				  the OWTS Policy sets standards for onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS)
				  that are constructed or replaced, that are subject to a major repair, that pool
				  or discharge waste to the surface of the ground, and that have affected, or
				  will affect, groundwater or surface water to a degree that makes it unfit for
				  drinking water or other uses, or cause a health or other public nuisance
				  condition. The OWTS Policy also includes minimum operating requirements for
				  OWTS that may include siting, construction, and performance requirements;
				  requirements for OWTS near certain waters listed as impaired under Section
				  303(d) of the
				  Clean Water Act; requirements authorizing local agency implementation of the
				  requirements; corrective action requirements; minimum monitoring requirements;
				  exemption criteria; requirements for determining when an existing OWTS is
				  subject to major repair, and a conditional waiver of waste discharge
				  requirements.
The regional water quality control boards are required to
				  incorporate the standards established in the OWTS Policy, or standards that are
				  more protective of the environment and public health, into their water quality
				  control plans within 12 months of the effective date of the OWTS Policy.
				  Implementation of the OWTS Policy will be overseen by the State Water Board and
				  the regional water quality control boards, and local agencies (e.g., county and
				  city departments and independent districts) have the opportunity to implement
				  local agency management programs if approved by the applicable regional water
				  quality control board.
On April 17, 2018, the State Water Board renewed the OWTS
				  Policy conditional waiver and amended the list of impaired water bodies listed
				  in the OWTS Policy Attachment 2, Tables 5 and 6.
On April 18, 2023, the State Water Board amended the Water
				  Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite
				  Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) and Conditional Waiver Renewal under
				  Resolution No. 2023-0012.
Resolution No. 2023-0012 amended the OWTS Policy and renews
				  the conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements authorized by Water Code
				  Section
				  13269.