What is the NPDES?
The Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits are aimed at preventing water pollution by regulating the levels of pollutants that are allowed to be discharged into our sewers and waterways. The Clean Water Act requires wastewater or stormwater NPDES permits before discharging pollutants.
Why is the NPDES Important?
The NPDES permit’s requirements ensure that discharges are not harmful to public health and environment. They limit the concentrations of pollutants in the discharge and outline compliance monitoring and reporting procedures.
An NPDES permit will generally specify an acceptable level of a pollutant or pollutant parameter in a discharge (for example, a certain level of bacteria), and some permits contain certain best management practices. NPDES permits make sure that a state's mandatory standards for clean water and the federal minimums are being met.
Portland’s NPDES Permit Program
NPDES identifies and regulates water pollution from point sources (wastewater and stormwater) and non-point sources (stormwater).
Wastewater
The City of Portland maintains NPDES permits for its two wastewater treatment facilities – the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Tryon Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The permits require the City to manage wastewater discharges from businesses, institutions, and industries in an effort to protect the treatment plants, public health, and the environment.
Environmental Services Industrial Pretreatment Program works with commercial and industrial customers to control discharges of harmful pollutants to the City's wastewater collection system to protect public health, water resources, and Portland's sewer treatment system.
Stormwater
The City inspects hundreds of permitted industries with stormwater discharges to surface waters and provides technical assistance and issues enforcement actions to sites not meeting permit requirements. The Industrial Stormwater Program also conducts inspections of non-permitted sites to determine whether the facility is required to obtain a 1200-A or 1200-Z stormwater permit due to exposure of industrial activities to stormwater runoff in areas that discharge to surface water. Sites are also inspected for compliance with Portland City Code 17.39 Storm Sewer Discharge.
The City of Portland is the authorized agent for DEQ in receiving General Industrial Stormwater Permit applications and administering the permits for industrial sites within the City.