NPDES Wastewater Discharge Permits

Water is a critical resource that must be protected to supply safe drinking water and support various activities, such as farming, manufacturing, and tourism. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) protects "waters of the United States" (WOTUS). This training provides general guidance on what waters are considered WOTUS. With certain exceptions, the CWA prohibits the discharge of pollutants from a point source into waters of the United States without a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The requirements of this permit are also covered in this training course.

Understand the current definition of “Waters of the United States” Describe the purpose of National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits Identify where a NPDES permit is required Describe the difference between General and Individual permits List the steps required to obtain an NPDES permit Describe NPDES permit requirements and how to comply with those requirements