§ 122.26 Storm water discharges (applicable to State NPDES programs, see § 123.25).

(a) Permit requirement. (1) Prior to October 1, 1994, discharges composed entirely of storm water shall not be required to obtain a NPDES permit except:

(i) A discharge with respect to which a permit has been issued prior to February 4, 1987;

(ii) A discharge associated with industrial activity (see § 122.26(a)(4));

(iii) A discharge from a large municipal separate storm sewer system;

(iv) A discharge from a medium municipal separate storm sewer system;

(v) A discharge which the Director, or in States with approved NPDES programs, either the Director or the EPA Regional Administrator, determines to contribute to a violation of a water quality standard or is a significant contributor of pollutants to waters of the United States. This designation may include a discharge from any conveyance or system of conveyances used for collecting and conveying storm water runoff or a system of discharges from municipal separate storm sewers, except for those discharges from conveyances which do not require a permit under paragraph (a)(2) of this section or agricultural storm water runoff which is exempted from the definition of point source at § 122.2.

The Director may designate discharges from municipal separate storm sewers on a system-wide or jurisdiction-wide basis. In making this determination the Director may consider the following factors:

(A) The location of the discharge with respect to waters of the United States as defined at 40 CFR 122.2.

(B) The size of the discharge;

(C) The quantity and nature of the pollutants discharged to waters of the United States; and

(D) Other relevant factors.

(2) The Director may not require a permit for discharges of storm water runoff from the following:

(i) Mining operations composed entirely of flows which are from conveyances or systems of conveyances (including but not limited to pipes, conduits, ditches, and channels) used for collecting and conveying precipitation runoff and which are not contaminated by contact with or that have not come into contact with, any overburden, raw material, intermediate products, finished product, byproduct, or waste products located on the site of such operations, except in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section.

(ii) All field activities or operations associated with oil and gas exploration, production, processing, or treatment operations or transmission facilities, including activities necessary to prepare a site for drilling and for the movement and placement of drilling equipment, whether or not such field activities or operations may be considered to be construction activities, except in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section. Discharges of sediment from construction activities associated with oil and gas exploration, production, processing, or treatment operations or transmission facilities are not subject to the provisions of paragraph (c)(1)(iii)(C) of this section.

(3) Large and medium municipal separate storm sewer systems. (i) Permits must be obtained for all discharges from large and medium municipal separate storm sewer systems.

(ii) The Director may either issue one system-wide permit covering all discharges from municipal separate storm sewers within a large or medium municipal storm sewer system or issue distinct permits for appropriate categories of discharges within a large or medium municipal separate storm sewer system including, but not limited to: all discharges owned or operated by the same municipality; located within the same jurisdiction; all discharges within a system that discharge to the same watershed; discharges within a system that are similar in nature; or for individual discharges from municipal separate storm sewers within the system.

(iii) The operator of a discharge from a municipal separate storm sewer which is part of a large or medium municipal separate storm sewer system must either:

(A) Participate in a permit application (to be a permittee or a co-permittee) with one or more other operators of discharges from the large or medium municipal storm sewer system which covers all, or a portion of all, discharges from the municipal separate storm sewer system;

(B) Submit a distinct permit application which only covers discharges from the municipal separate storm sewers for which the operator is responsible; or

(C) A regional authority may be responsible for submitting a permit application under the following guidelines:

(1) The regional authority together with co-applicants shall have authority over a storm water management program that is in existence, or shall be in existence at the time part 1 of the application is due;

(2) The permit applicant or co-applicants shall establish their ability to make a timely submission of part 1 and part 2 of the municipal application;

(3) Each of the operators of municipal separate storm sewers within the systems described in paragraphs (b)(4) (i), (ii), and (iii) or (b)(7) (i), (ii), and (iii) of this section, that are under the purview of the designated regional authority, shall comply with the application requirements of paragraph (d) of this section.

(iv) One permit application may be submitted for all or a portion of all municipal separate storm sewers within adjacent or interconnected large or medium municipal separate storm sewer systems. The Director may issue one system-wide permit covering all, or a portion of all municipal separate storm sewers in adjacent or interconnected large or medium municipal separate storm sewer systems.

(v) Permits for all or a portion of all discharges from large or medium municipal separate storm sewer systems that are issued on a system-wide, jurisdiction-wide, watershed or other basis may specify different conditions relating to different discharges covered by the permit, including different management programs for different drainage areas which contribute storm water to the system.

(vi) Co-permittees need only comply with permit conditions relating to discharges from the municipal separate storm sewers for which they are operators.

(4) Discharges through large and medium municipal separate storm sewer systems. In addition to meeting the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, an operator of a storm water discharge associated with industrial activity which discharges through a large or medium municipal separate storm sewer system shall submit, to the operator of the municipal separate storm sewer system receiving the discharge no later than May 15, 1991, or 180 days prior to commencing such discharge: the name of the facility; a contact person and phone number; the location of the discharge; a description, including Standard Industrial Classification, which best reflects the principal products or services provided by each facility; and any existing NPDES permit number.

(5) Other municipal separate storm sewers. The Director may issue permits for municipal separate storm sewers that are designated under paragraph (a)(1)(v) of this section on a system-wide basis, jurisdiction-wide basis, watershed basis or other appropriate basis, or may issue permits for individual discharges.

(6) Non-municipal separate storm sewers. For storm water discharges associated with industrial activity from point sources which discharge through a non-municipal or non-publicly owned separate storm sewer system, the Director, in his discretion, may issue: a single NPDES permit, with each discharger a co-permittee to a permit issued to the operator of the portion of the system that discharges into waters of the United States; or, individual permits to each discharger of storm water associated with industrial activity through the non-municipal conveyance system.

(i) All storm water discharges associated with industrial activity that discharge through a storm water discharge system that is not a municipal separate storm sewer must be covered by an individual permit, or a permit issued to the operator of the portion of the system that discharges to waters of the United States, with each discharger to the non-municipal conveyance a co-permittee to that permit.

(ii) Where there is more than one operator of a single system of such conveyances, all operators of storm water discharges associated with industrial activity must submit applications.

(iii) Any permit covering more than one operator shall identify the effluent limitations, or other permit conditions, if any, that apply to each operator.

(7) Combined sewer systems. Conveyances that discharge storm water runoff combined with municipal sewage are point sources that must obtain NPDES permits in accordance with the procedures of § 122.21 and are not subject to the provisions of this section.

(8) Whether a discharge from a municipal separate storm sewer is or is not subject to regulation under this section shall have no bearing on whether the owner or operator of the discharge is eligible for funding under title II, title III or title VI of the Clean Water Act. See 40 CFR part 35, subpart I, appendix A(b)H.2.j.

(9)

(i) On and after October 1, 1994, for discharges composed entirely of storm water, that are not required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section to obtain a permit, operators shall be required to obtain a NPDES permit only if:

(A) The discharge is from a small MS4 required to be regulated pursuant to § 122.32;

(B) The discharge is a storm water discharge associated with small construction activity pursuant to paragraph (b)(15) of this section;

(C) The Director, or in States with approved NPDES programs either the Director or the EPA Regional Administrator, determines that storm water controls are needed for the discharge based on wasteload allocations that are part of “total maximum daily loads” (TMDLs) that address the pollutant(s) of concern; or

(D) The Director, or in States with approved NPDES programs either the Director or the EPA Regional Administrator, determines that the discharge, or category of discharges within a geographic area, contributes to a violation of a water quality standard or is a significant contributor of pollutants to waters of the United States.

(ii) Operators of small MS4s designated pursuant to paragraphs (a)(9)(i)(A), (a)(9)(i)(C), and (a)(9)(i)(D) of this section shall seek coverage under an NPDES permit in accordance with §§ 122.33 through 122.35. Operators of non-municipal sources designated pursuant to paragraphs (a)(9)(i)(B), (a)(9)(i)(C), and (a)(9)(i)(D) of this section shall seek coverage under an NPDES permit in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(iii) Operators of storm water discharges designated pursuant to paragraphs (a)(9)(i)(C) and (a)(9)(i)(D) of this section shall apply to the Director for a permit within 180 days of receipt of notice, unless permission for a later date is granted by the Director (see § 124.52(c) of this chapter).

(b) Definitions. (1) Co-permittee means a permittee to a NPDES permit that is only responsible for permit conditions relating to the discharge for which it is operator.

(2) Illicit discharge means any discharge to a municipal separate storm sewer that is not composed entirely of storm water except discharges pursuant to a NPDES permit (other than the NPDES permit for discharges from the municipal separate storm sewer) and discharges resulting from fire fighting activities.

(3) Incorporated place means the District of Columbia, or a city, town, township, or village that is incorporated under the laws of the State in which it is located.

(4) Large municipal separate storm sewer system means all municipal separate storm sewers that are either:

(i) Located in an incorporated place with a population of 250,000 or more as determined by the 1990 Decennial Census by the Bureau of the Census (Appendix F of this part); or

(ii) Located in the counties listed in appendix H, except municipal separate storm sewers that are located in the incorporated places, townships or towns within such counties; or

(iii) Owned or operated by a municipality other than those described in paragraph (b)(4) (i) or (ii) of this section and that are designated by the Director as part of the large or medium municipal separate storm sewer system due to the interrelationship between the discharges of the designated storm sewer and the discharges from municipal separate storm sewers described under paragraph (b)(4) (i) or (ii) of this section. In making this determination the Director may consider the following factors:

(A) Physical interconnections between the municipal separate storm sewers;

(B) The location of discharges from the designated municipal separate storm sewer relative to discharges from municipal separate storm sewers described in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section;

(C) The quantity and nature of pollutants discharged to waters of the United States;

(D) The nature of the receiving waters; and

(E) Other relevant factors; or

(iv) The Director may, upon petition, designate as a large municipal separate storm sewer system, municipal separate storm sewers located within the boundaries of a region defined by a storm water management regional authority based on a jurisdictional, watershed, or other appropriate basis that includes one or more of the systems described in paragraph (b)(4) (i), (ii), (iii) of this section.

(5) Major municipal separate storm sewer outfall (or “major outfall”) means a municipal separate storm sewer outfall that discharges from a single pipe with an inside diameter of 36 inches or more or its equivalent (discharge from a single conveyance other than circular pipe which is associated with a drainage area of more than 50 acres); or for municipal separate storm sewers that receive storm water from lands zoned for industrial activity (based on comprehensive zoning plans or the equivalent), an outfall that discharges from a single pipe with an inside diameter of 12 inches or more or from its equivalent (discharge from other than a circular pipe associated with a drainage area of 2 acres or more).

(6) Major outfall means a major municipal separate storm sewer outfall.

(7) Medium municipal separate storm sewer system means all municipal separate storm sewers that are either:

(i) Located in an incorporated place with a population of 100,000 or more but less than 250,000, as determined by the 1990 Decennial Census by the Bureau of the Census (appendix G of this part); or

(ii) Located in the counties listed in appendix I, except municipal separate storm sewers that are located in the incorporated places, townships or towns within such counties; or

(iii) Owned or operated by a municipality other than those described in paragraph (b)(7) (i) or (ii) of this section and that are designated by the Director as part of the large or medium municipal separate storm sewer system due to the interrelationship between the discharges of the designated storm sewer and the discharges from municipal separate storm sewers described under paragraph (b)(7) (i) or (ii) of this section. In making this determination the Director may consider the following factors:

(A) Physical interconnections between the municipal separate storm sewers;

(B) The location of discharges from the designated municipal separate storm sewer relative to discharges from municipal separate storm sewers described in paragraph (b)(7)(i) of this section;

(C) The quantity and nature of pollutants discharged to waters of the United States;

(D) The nature of the receiving waters; or

(E) Other relevant factors; or

(iv) The Director may, upon petition, designate as a medium municipal separate storm sewer system, municipal separate storm sewers located within the boundaries of a region defined by a storm water management regional authority based on a jurisdictional, watershed, or other appropriate basis that includes one or more of the systems described in paragraphs (b)(7) (i), (ii), (iii) of this section.

(8) Municipal separate storm sewer means a conveyance or system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains):

(i) Owned or operated by a State, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or other public body (created by or pursuant to State law) having jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial wastes, storm water, or other wastes, including special districts under State law such as a sewer district, flood control district or drainage district, or similar entity, or an Indian tribe or an authorized Indian tribal organization, or a designated and approved management agency under section 208 of the CWA that discharges to waters of the United States;

(ii) Designed or used for collecting or conveying storm water;

(iii) Which is not a combined sewer; and

(iv) Which is not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) as defined at 40 CFR 122.2.

(9) Outfall means a point source as defined by 40 CFR 122.2 at the point where a municipal separate storm sewer discharges to waters of the United States and does not include open conveyances connecting two municipal separate storm sewers, or pipes, tunnels or other conveyances which connect segments of the same stream or other waters of the United States and are used to convey waters of the United States.

(10) Overburden means any material of any nature, consolidated or unconsolidated, that overlies a mineral deposit, excluding topsoil or similar naturally-occurring surface materials that are not disturbed by mining operations.