How does the City of San Diego comply with the Clean Water Act?
The City of San Diego is in compliance with the Clean Water Act, operating under a modified permit. The five-year modified permit, also known as a ‘waiver,’ is a provision of the Clean Water Act that allows the PLWTP to treat wastewater at the Advanced Primary level before discharging into the ocean, only as long as it continues to show that there is no harm to the environment. The modified permit requires the City to perform additional monitoring to ensure compliance. The permit must be renewed every five years by the EPA and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
