CWEA is working to provide the most current information to you on the status of the new Waste Discharge Requirements, and the training roll out. If you have any questions or difficulties with this site, please contact us at sso@cwea.org.  This page includes information on the following topics: 

• Explanation of the  Waste Discharge Requirement - including presentations for you & your agency management

• Compliance Deadlines & Enrollment Process 

• Training Opportunities and SSO-WDR Tools

• Opportunity to Be a Trainer and/or Host a Session

• Best Management Practices for Sanitary Sewer Oerflow (SSO) Reduction Strategies

What is the Waste Discharge Requirement?
On May 2, 2006, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted a General Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) for all publicly owned sanitary sewer collection systems in California with more than one mile of sewer pipe. The goal of the WDR is to provide a consistent statewide approach for reducing Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). The WDR requires that:

• In the event of an SSO, all feasible steps be taken to control the released volume and prevent untreated wastewater from entering storm drains, creeks, etc.

• If an SSO occurs, it must be reported to the SWRCB using an online reporting system developed the SWRCB. (Note: All spills greater than 1000 gallons still must be reported to the Office of Emergency Services, as is currently required.)
  -- This online reporting system is now called CIWQS - the California Integrated Water Quality System project. 
  -- This is the most urgent portion of the WDR, as enrollment and compliance deadlines are occurring now. 

• All publicly owned collection system agencies with more than one mile of sewer pipe in the State must develop a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP). The WDR specifies mandatory elements and that it be made publicly available.
  -- The SSMP requirement is key to showing your public and constituents that you are proactively protecting their health and safety. As there are many required elements to the SSMP, this portion of the WDR has a slower timeframe for compliance. 

• More on the requirements.

  • Final SSO-WDR approved by SWRCB

  • Final Monitoring & Reporting Program approved by SWRCB

  • The SWRCB Fact Sheet on SSO-WDR

  • What you need to know about the SSO-WDR (ppt) - Modify to fit your audience!

  • What your agency board should know about the SSO-WDR (ppt) - Modify to fit your audience!

• Information from the Regional Boards

  • Region 2 Letter on SSMP

  • Region 2 Letter on SSO-WDR

  • State Letter to the Regional Boards

What are the compliance deadlines for electronic reporting, and how do I enroll? 
On June 27, 2006, CWEA and the SWB entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) (and amendment) for industry training on these new requirements. With the MOA in place, electronic reporting compliance deadlines were extended for both the electronic reporting and SSMP elements.  On February 28, 2008, CWEA and the SWRCB signed a new MOA  that extended the agreement until December 2009.

All agencies must enroll by November 2 by submitting an enrollment application (notice of intent),  available on the State Water Board's website.  After the application is received, the State Water Resources Control Board will send the agency a user name and password for the online reporting system (by the date noted in the schedule below). Once the user name and password are received, the agency will have up to 30 days to complete a Collection Systems Questionnaire and then begin to report spills (and no-spill months) using the State CIWQS website reporting system.

• Notice of Intent - Enrollment Application

• Enrollment process and preliminary/draft questionnaire

	Regions 4,8,9	Regions 1,2,3	Regions 5,6,7
Enrollment*	November 2, 2006	November 2, 2006	November 2, 2006
CIWQS Password & Agency user name provided by State Water Board to all enrollees	December 1, 2006	by March 30, 2007	by August 1, 2007
Collection System Questionnaire to be completed on CIWQS	December 31, 2006	April 29, 2007	August 31, 2007
Begin electronic reporting on State Board's CIWQS	January 2, 2007	May 2, 2007	September 2, 2007

What training is available? 

On Electronic Reporting - 
In cooperation with our partners in the Wastewater Summit (including California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), Southern California Alliance of Publicly-owned Treatment Works (SCAP), Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA), and Central Valley Clean Water Association (CVCWA), we are pleased to provide training on the SSO-WDR, focusing on online reporting, monitoring and reporting requirements.  The training will be held using a team format. The participants will work on case studies and enter data into a database simulation via laptops. The objectives for this training are to familiarize the participants with the log-in, format, data needs and reporting requirements for the State of California's Collection System WDR electronic reporting. Participants will be given an overview and hands on demonstration of how the reporting system works to prepare them for compliance with the new reporting requirements. CWEA will make training available in all regions before their compliance deadlines by rolling out the training by region (in the same order as the electronic reporting compliance deadlines). More details about the training events - dates and locations.

• Regions 4, 8, 9 = Events passed - contact us at sso@cwea.org to request additional training (for compliance by January 2, 2007)

• Regions 1, 2, 3 = February - April 2007 (for compliance by May 2, 2007)

• Regions 5, 6, 7 = May - August 2007 (for compliance by September 2, 2007)

On SSMPs - 
In cooperation with our partners in the Wastewater Summit (including California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), Southern California Alliance of Publicly-owned Treatment Works (SCAP), Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA), and Central Valley Clean Water Association (CVCWA), we are pleased to be preparing training to address the new SSMP requirements. Information, dates, and locations will be made available in time for agencies to begin work on their individual SSMPs prior to the deadline. 

 
Opportunity to Be a Trainer or Host an Event

• Call for Trainers for the Electronic Reporting  - return the Trainer Interest Form

• If you have or know of a possible site for the Electronic Reporting training, please submit the Facility Usage Form (schematic included is ideal, not required set-up).
   

SSO-WDR Reporting Tools

• State Water Board's website

• Notice of Intent - Enrollment Application

• Flow Volume Estimations Chart

Contact the State Water Resources Control Board

• Submit a Question: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs/ciwqs_tracking.html

• CIWQS Website: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs

• How are we doing?: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Customer/CSForm.asp