Wastewater Management

DEP's Bureau of Clean Water (BCW) is responsible for administering the wastewater management program in Pennsylvania. The program involves oversight of the following activities:

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting and compliance monitoring activities under Chapter 92a, which DEP implements pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (PDF) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for point source discharges from sewage, industrial waste and municipal and industrial stormwater facilities and otheractivities including the application of pesticides.

• Water Quality Management (WQM) permitting and compliance monitoring activities under Chapter 91 and Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law for construction of sewage and industrial waste treatment facilities, land application of wastewater, and the application of herbicides, algicides and fish control chemicals to surface waters.

• Sewage facilities planning under Chapters 71, 73 and Pennsylvania's Act 537 and Sewage Enforcement Officer licensing.

• Establishment of wastewater treatment requirements in Chapter 95 and implementation of water quality standards and the nutrient trading program under Chapter 96.

• Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) and the electronic DMR (eDMR) system for NPDES and WQM permittees to report self-monitoring information.

• Permitting and compliance monitoring for facilities generating, land applying and hauling biosolids and residential septage.

• Municipal wasteload management under Chapter 94.

• Financial assistance for water and wastewater infrastructure.

• Technical support for the wastewater portion of the operator certification program.

• Other elements of wastewater management, including but not limited to activities involving the use of Chemical Additives and Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing.

Relevant forms, permit packages, publications and technical guidance for these activitiescan be found in DEP's eLibrary system as follows:

• Forms - visit Clean Water and Water Standards and Facility Regulation folders.
• Permit Packages - visit Clean Water and Water Management folders.
• Publications - visit Clean Water and Water Standards and Facility Regulation folders.
• Final Technical Guidance - visit Bureau of Point and Non-Point Source Management, Water Quality, Water Standards and Facility Regulation and Watershed Management folders.