Permit Performance Improvement and Reporting

The Water Quality Control Division is gathering key stakeholders to evaluate permit process improvements by focusing on three key objectives: 

• Collaboratively evaluating how to improve communications with permittees while ensuring an efficient permit processing system.
• Develop standardized timeframes to grant or deny applications for each permitting action, including: issuance of new individual and general permits (including certifications); renewal of individual permits and general permits (including certifications); requests for permit modifications; and determining preliminary effluent limits. 
• Develop a feasible backlog reduction schedule. 

Per Senate Bill 25-305, Water Quality Permitting Efficiency, and recent updates to Regulation 102, Water Quality Control Division Cash Fees, the division must propose rules to the Water Quality Control Commission by December 31, 2027, with adoption by June 30, 2028. Additionally, a backlog reduction schedule will be established by December 31, 2026, to be included in annual reports to the Commission. The division will also inform stakeholders of progress made on additional permit performance improvement commitments that were developed through a previous fee-setting stakeholder effort.

Also, the division plans to merge the Permit Renewal Data and Communication needs water quality workgroup into this new stakeholder effort. As part of this merge, the division plans to review with stakeholders how to integrate the topics identified from the original workgroup into this new stakeholder effort.