What does the acronym NPDES stand for?
A. This is a federal permit system for point source discharges (waste discharges coming from a discrete source such as a pipe or channel). In Idaho, NPDES permits are issued by EPA, not the State of Idaho. A common permit would be for a Wastewater Treatment Plant, such as the Coeur d’Alene WWTP which discharges treated effluent into the Spokane River. In the development arena, stormwater discharges from a construction site flowing into the waters of the United States, from a site where the disturbance is an acre or more, comes under the NPDES in the way a nation-wide Construction General Permit.
