What is NPDES and who oversees it?
NPDES stands for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. It’s a permitting program required under the U.S. Clean Water Act for discharges to surface waters of the U.S. In CA, USEPA has delegated its authority to implement the NPDES Program to CAL/EPA’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) who in turn manages the NPDES Program via five Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs). In Contra Costa County, two RWCQBs oversee our County’s discharges to the Bay and the Delta, the San Francisco Bay and Central Valley RWCQBs, respectively.
