Virginia Administrative Code › Title 9 - ENVIRONMENT › Agency 25 - STATE WATER CONTROL BOARD › Chapter 196 - Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) General Permit for Noncontact Cooling Water Discharges of 50,000 Gallons per Day or Less › Section 9VAC25-196-70 - General permit

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
Any owner whose registration statement is accepted by the
				  department will receive coverage under the following permit and shall comply
				  with the requirements therein and be subject to all requirements of
				  9VAC25-31.
General Permit No: VAG25
Effective Date: April 1, 2023
Expiration Date: March 31, 2028
GENERAL PERMIT FOR NONCONTACT COOLING WATER DISCHARGES OF
				  50,000 GALLONS PER DAY OR LESS
AUTHORIZATION TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE VIRGINIA POLLUTANT
				  DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM AND THE VIRGINIA STATE WATER CONTROL LAW
In compliance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act, as
				  amended, and pursuant to the State Water Control Law and regulations adopted
				  pursuant thereto, owners of noncontact cooling water discharges of 50,000
				  gallons per day or less are authorized to discharge to surface waters within
				  the boundaries of the Commonwealth of Virginia, except Class V stockable trout
				  waters, Class VI natural trout waters, and those specifically named in board
				  regulations that prohibit such discharges. Chlorine or any other halogen
				  compounds shall not be used for disinfection or other treatment purposes,
				  including biocide applications, for any discharges to waters containing
				  endangered or threatened species as identified in
				  9VAC25-260-110 C of the Water
				  Quality Standards.
The authorized discharge shall be in accordance with the
				  information submitted with the registration statement, this cover page, Part I
				  - Effluent Limitations, Monitoring Requirements, Special Conditions, and Part
				  II - Conditions Applicable to all VPDES Permits, as set forth in this general
				  permit.
Part I Effluent Limitations,
				Monitoring Requirements, Special Conditions
A. Effluent limitations and monitoring
				requirements.
1. Effluent limitations and
				monitoring requirements for discharges to freshwater receiving waterbodies.
				Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the permittee as specified
				below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
DISCHARGE LIMITATIONS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Maximum
Minimum
Frequency
Sample Type
Flow (MGD)
0.05
NA
1/3 Months
Estimate
Temperature (°C)
(1)
NA
1/3 Months
Immersion Stabilization
pH (SU)
9.0(2)
6.0(2)
1/3 Months
Grab
Ammonia-N(3) (mg/l)
NL
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Residual Chlorine(3),
								(4) (mg/l)
0.011
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable
							 Copper(4) (µg/l)
9.0
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable Zinc(4)
							 (µg/l)
120
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable Silver(4),
								(5) (µg/l)
3.4
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Phosphorus(6)
							 (mg/l)
NL
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
NL = No limitation, monitoring required
NA = Not applicable
1/3 Months = the following three-month periods each
							 year of permit coverage: January through March, April through June, July
							 through September, and October through December
(1)The effluent
							 temperature shall not exceed a maximum 32°C for discharges to nontidal
							 coastal and piedmont waters, or 31°C for mountain and upper piedmont
							 waters. No maximum temperature limit, only monitoring, applies to discharges to
							 estuarine waters. The effluent shall not cause an increase in temperature of
							 the receiving stream of more than 3°C above the natural water temperature.
							 The effluent shall not cause the temperature in the receiving stream to change
							 more than 2°C per hour. Natural temperature is defined as that temperature
							 of a body of water (measured as the arithmetic average over one hour) due
							 solely to natural conditions without the influence of any point source
							 discharge.
(2)Where the Water Quality
							 Standards (9VAC25-260) establish alternate standards for pH in the waters
							 receiving the discharge, those standards shall be the maximum and minimum
							 effluent limitations.
(3)Chlorine limitation and
							 monitoring only apply to outfalls directly discharging to surface waters where
							 either: (i) a treatment additive that contains chlorine or chlorine compounds
							 is used or (ii) the source of cooling water is chlorinated. All data below the
							 quantification level (QL) of 0.1 mg/L shall be reported as "<QL." Ammonia
							 monitoring only applies where the source of cooling water is disinfected using
							 chloramines.
(4)A specific analytical
							 method is not specified; however, a maximum quantification level (Max QL) value
							 for each metal has been established. An appropriate method to meet the Max QL
							 value shall be selected using any approved method presented in 40 CFR Part 136
							 . If the test result is less than the method quantification level (QL), a
							 "<QL" shall be reported where the actual analytical test QL is substituted
							 for QL.
Material
Max QL (µg/l)
Copper
1.0 µg/l
Chlorine
0.1 mg/l
Zinc
50.0 µg/l
Silver
1.0 µg/l
Quality control/assurance information shall be
							 submitted to document that the required QL has been attained.
(5)Silver monitoring is
							 only required where a Cu/Ag anode is used.
(6)Phosphorus monitoring
							 is only required where an additive containing phosphorus is used.
2.
				Effluent limitations and monitoring requirements for discharges to saltwater
				receiving waterbodies. Such discharges shall be limited and monitored by the
				permittee as specified below:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTICS
DISCHARGE LIMITATIONS
MONITORING REQUIREMENTS
Maximum
Minimum
Frequency
Sample Type
Flow (MGD)
0.05
NA
1/3 Months
Estimate
Temperature (°C)
(1)
NA
1/3 Months
Immersion Stabilization
pH (SU)
9.0(2)
6.0(2)
1/3 Months
Grab
Ammonia-N(3) (mg/l)
NL
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Chlorine Producing Oxidant(3),
								(4) (mg/l)
0.0075
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable
							 Copper(4) (µg/l)
6.0
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable Zinc(4)
							 (µg/l)
81
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Recoverable Silver(4),
								(5) (µg/l)
1.9
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
Total Phosphorus(6)
							 (mg/l)
NL
NA
1/3 Months
Grab
NL = No limitation, monitoring required
NA = Not applicable
1/3 Months = the following three-month periods each
							 year of permit coverage: January through March, April through June, July
							 through September, and October through December
(1)The effluent
							 temperature shall not exceed a maximum 32°C for discharges to nontidal
							 coastal and piedmont waters, or 31°C for mountain and upper piedmont
							 waters. No maximum temperature limit, only monitoring, applies to discharges to
							 estuarine waters. The effluent shall not cause an increase in temperature of
							 the receiving stream of more than 3°C above the natural water temperature.
							 The effluent shall not cause the temperature in the receiving stream to change
							 more than 2°C per hour. Natural temperature is defined as that temperature
							 of a body of water (measured as the arithmetic average over one hour) due
							 solely to natural conditions without the influence of any point source
							 discharge.
(2)Where the Water Quality
							 Standards (9VAC25-260) establish alternate standards for pH in the waters
							 receiving the discharge, those standards shall be the maximum and minimum
							 effluent limitations.
(3)Chlorine limitation and
							 monitoring only apply to outfalls discharging to surface waters where
							 either:
(i) a treatment additive that contains chlorine or
							 chlorine compounds is used or
(ii) the source of cooling water is chlorinated. All
							 data below the quantification level (QL) of 0.1 mg/L shall be reported as
							 "<QL." Ammonia monitoring only applies where the source of cooling water is
							 disinfected using chloramines.
(4)A specific analytical
							 method is not specified; however, a maximum quantification level (Max QL) value
							 for each metal has been established. An appropriate method to meet the Max QL
							 value shall be selected using any approved method presented in 40 CFR Part 136
							 . If the test result is less than the method quantification level (QL), a
							 "<QL" shall be reported where the actual analytical test QL is substituted
							 for QL.
Material
Max QL
Copper
1.0 µg/l
Chlorine
0.1 mg/l
Zinc
50.0 µg/l
Silver
1.0 µg/l
Quality control/assurance information shall be
							 submitted to document that the required QL has been attained.
(5)Silver monitoring is
							 only required where a Cu/Ag anode is used.
(6)Phosphorus monitoring
							 is only required where an additive containing phosphorus is used.