Wastewater, Stormwater & Water Withdrawal Permits

Wastewater Permits - State Pollution Discharge Elimination (SPDES) Permit Program

Individual Wastewater Permits

Individual permits are issued to cover a single facility in one location that is unique with respect to discharge characteristics and other factors. Permits are issued to facilities in the following categories:

  • Industrial discharges of waste resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, or business or from the development or recovery of any natural resources, which may cause or expect to cause water pollution.
  • Municipal discharges of residential sewage, primarily from facilities not owned by a municipality, with or without the admixture of industrial wastewater that is treated by a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) owned by a municipality.
  • Private, Commercial or Institutional (PCI) discharges of primarily domestic sewage without admixture of industrial waste; generally this refers to wastewater generated by a single facility or building complex under single ownership and may or may not be publicly owned.

See State Pollution Discharge Elimination (SPDES) Permit Program for general information for all types of SPDES permits.

For a more detailed description of the Individual wastewater permitting process and how DEC ranks and reviews permits, see the Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy guidance document (PDF), and the Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy (EBPS) priority rankings list (PDF).

General Wastewater Permits

General permits are issued to cover discharges that involve similar types of operations, pollutants, require similar effluent limits and operating conditions, require similar monitoring, and typically have less significant impact on the environment when in compliance with permit provisions. General Permits have been developed for:

  • SPDES General Permit GP-0-15-001 for the discharge to groundwater of 1,000 gallons per day (gpd) or more, and less than 10,000 gpd per outfall of treated sanitary sewage without the admixture of industrial wastes from on-site wastewater treatment systems serving private, commercial and institutional (P/C/I)facilities.
    • A facility with multiple outfalls discharging from 1,000 gpd up to but less than 10,000 gpd each, having a combined design flow less than 30,000 gpd, and discharging to groundwater, is eligible for coverage under this General Permit.
  • SPDES Aquatic Pesticide General Permit (PGP) - coverage is specifically required for point source discharges by operators from the application to, in, or over surface waters of the State (as defined in the PGP) of any New York State registered pesticide that is labeled for aquatic uses (as defined in the PGP).
  • Vessel General Permit The US Environmental Protection Agency's Vessel General Permit regulates discharges from vessels that are incidental to the normal operation of a vessel. Some of these discharges are deck runoff, bilge water, gray water, chain locker effluent, and ballast water.

Related wastewater forms and registrations

Stormwater

Stormwater General Permits

General permits are issued to cover discharges that involve similar types of operations, pollutants, require similar effluent limits and operating conditions, require similar monitoring, and typically have less significant impact on the environment when in compliance with permit provisions.

  • Construction Permit-this permit is required for construction activities that disturb one or more acres of soil and for construction projects in NYC East of Hudson Watershed that disturb more than 5,000 square feet to one acre of land.
  • Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP)-this permit is required for industrial activities (descriptions of activities are listed in Appendix B in the MSGP (GP-0-12-001)) that discharge stormwater to waterbodies.
  • Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit-this permit is required for urbanized areas defined by the US Census Bureau (communities are notified by DEC if they are designated) to manage stormwater to reduce the amount of pollutants reaching waterbodies.
  • Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Permit-this general permit is required for large or medium animal feeding operations or designated as a small CAFO by the Department, Appendix A in the CAFO GP-0-09-001 defines the different sizes of CAFOs that need this permit.

Water Withdrawal

  • Interbasin Diversion Registration-required for the transfer of water or wastewater from one of New York's 17 watersheds (major drainage basins) to another by a man-made system.
  • NYS Water Well Contractor Registration-required by any business conducting water well drilling activities anywhere in NYS.
  • Water Withdrawal Permit-required for all water withdrawal systems that are capable of withdrawing 100,000 gallons per day or more.

Agricultural Water Withdrawal Registration

Agricultural facilities are required to register with DEC if:

  • The water withdrawal system operation began on or before 2/15/2012; and
  • average volume is greater than 100,000 gallons per day in any 30 day consecutive period; and
  • prior to 2/15/2013 water use was reported to DEC.

If a facility is not already registered then a Water Withdrawal Permit is required.

Other water related permits

Brine Disposal Wells

A brine disposal well permit is required for any brine disposal well deeper than 500 feet; including any operation to drill, deepen, plug back or convert a well. Regardless of well depth, DEC must be contacted for a determination of whether a permit is necessary to operate any brine disposal well.

State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit-general information for all types of SPDES permits issued by DEC.