Stormwater discharging to a river

[castiglian]

Hi, I have a project in which I have to discharge directly to a River,
someone told me that there is some federal rules about this issue, like
putting like one kind of grease interceptor for avoiding pollution in to the
river, does anyone knows about these rules, where can I find it and what I
kind of products for stormwater treatment use?
Also another issue is the Army Corps Engineers do they have special rules
for this things?
I really appreciate your help
Thanks

--

Francisco J. Bobadilla

 

[kenvlach]

If your project is above some minimum size, you most likely need a permit from the EPA or EPA-delegated administering agency in your state, county, etc.
This would be an NPDES (NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM) permit.

Many sources of info. The CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) are at

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html

Start by searching for NPDES.

Also, contact your local EPA agency. The sooner you talk to them or ask for help, the better their attitude will be.

Hope this helps,
Ken

 

[saxon]

castiglian, There are more than just "some rules" there are lots of rules! As Kenlach pointed out, discharges to the surface waters of the U.S. are controlled by the Federal Gov. through the N.P.D.E.S. Permitting system. Some States have received authority from the Fed. to administer and enforce the system. There are various types of permits available depending on the Industrial Classification your facility falls into. Currently, even contruction sites are now required to be properly permitted before construction can commence.

Check with your State and Local EPA Office (if in the U.S.) they will be more than glad to help you with the necessary applications required to get a site NPDES Permit. One word of caution, do not try to operate the facility or construction site without an approved permit. Under the enforcement sections, you can face severe civil and/or criminal penalties for not complying.

Hope this helps.
saxon

 

[castiglian]

Thank you fo all your help I will keeping looking for the paper work, also what kind of products for treating the stormwater before discharge do you recommend ?

Thanks again
Francisco

 

[kenvlach]

Really, you need to provide a lot more details. To begin:
What is the potential quantity of stormwater (from the maximum 24 hr rainfall in 50 years, if I remember correctly)?
What are the potential pollutants and quantities?
What are treatment options?
How will you dispose of any hazardous substances removed from the water?
Is this temporary or long term?
Your plan must include monitoring & analysis to verify to the EPA that your discharge meets the regulations. Unless you can get by with a simple catchment/settling basin for removing silt, it may be advisable to hire a professional environmental consultant.
Ken

 

[dicksewerrat]

you may have to get a permit from a watershed district also. They are a God unto themselves. Higher up the food chain than EPA or Corps of Engineers. Then there is the DNR and probably some local parks department.

 

[gtrainor]

Castiglian, as you can see, you have opened Pandora's Box. Stormwater Management is a hot issue since NPDES Phase 1 and recently Phase 2 came into existance. Fortunately for you, there are now several stormwater consultants around that can handle your situation. Talking about grease traps and asking about other "products" ain't cuttin it. There are numerous local and state guidelines with matrix decisions taking steps and no state is the same as the next. Get an expert!

 

[kenvlach]

Agree strongly with dicksewerrat, Regional Water Boards are non-elected "God{s} unto themselves." [although part of Cal/EPA in California]. Their motto is "guilty until proven innocent," don't know the laws, and even put pressure on local POTW's to force some businesses not legally required to apply for NPDES permits. (Fortunately I had spent 2 years in night courses on Hazardous Materials Management). Certain SIC categories are presumed by law to need a permit; you must file a 'Not-required-to-apply’ form if exempt (e.g., discharge to POTW, de minimus size).

Also, unless your site is entirely pavement & buildings, you have ground and somewhere down below is most likely groundwater, i.e., more trouble:

"Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR's): Any facility or activity that discharges, or proposes to discharge, waste that may affect groundwater quality or from which waste may be discharged in a diffused manner (e.g., erosion from soil disturbance) must first obtain waste discharge requirements
Contact: Cal/EPA State Water Resources Control Board"
(

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/index.html)

As you can see from “erosion from soil disturbance,” the government has a very broad view of waste. You are even responsible for air pollutants and dust from elsewhere that settles onto your site and can be borne off in rainwater runoff or percolate down to groundwater. This can be a serious problem in certain industrial and agricultural areas.

If in California, Cal/EPA’s CalGOLD site (

http://www.calgold.ca.gov/)

is very helpful. Just select your business type and location, and the program will spew out various business requirements from all levels of government. But, knowing what to do isn’t the same as knowing how to do it. Hire a pro.