Water Programs

Water Division Home


Types of Water Permits

Other Permits

An Overview of WPDES Permits

Through the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit program, the DNR regulates municipal, industrial, and animal waste operations discharging water to surface or groundwaters.

Already know what you want? Click the links below. Otherwise, scroll down for an explanation of the programs.
Animal Waste | Storm Water | Wastewater

Each permit contains monitoring, reporting, and operational requirements needed to ensure protection of Wisconsin's water resources. The department makes a determination on whether a particular facility is appropriately covered by a general or specific permit. Specific permits are issued to individual facilities.

There are three types of WPDES water permits designed to mitigate the amount of pollutants discharged into the waters of the state:

Wastewater Discharge

Permits for industrial and municipal processes discharging water from operations. The DNR has separate WPDES permit applications for each type of WPDES Wastewater Permit.

Storm Water

  • Permits for construction-site acitvities with land disturbance over 1 acre.
  • Permits for Indisutrial storm water exposure; including industry specific: auto parts, scrap and recycling, non-metallic mines.
  • Permits for municipalities meeting requirements for Phase II MS4s.

CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)

Permits for operations with large amounts of animal wastes.

WPDES permits are issued for a maximum 5-year time frame. They establish the performance standards for water treatment systems and, for some, set numeric criteria the discharger must meet.

No person may legally discharge to waters of the state without a permit issued under this authority. This permit system is patterned after the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

All permits issued under the WPDES permit program are either specific (individual) permits or general permits. Specific permits are issued to individual facilities. General permits are issued statewide to cover facilities with similar discharges.The DNR makes a determination on whether a particular facility is appropriately covered by a general or specific permit.

With respect to EPA's oversight, all specific WPDES permits issued by the DNR are classified as major or minor WPDES permits. Major WPDES permits are subject to EPA oversight and concurrence from EPA must be received prior to finalizing any permit action.

The WPDES Permit Program regulates:

 

Last Revised: Wednesday May 31 2006