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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 22-1703

NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Draft Water Quality Management General Permit for Small Flow Treatment Facilities (WQG-01)

[52 Pa.B. 6934]
[Saturday, November 5, 2022]

 The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is announcing the availability of draft amendments to the Water Quality Management (WQM) General Permit for Small Flow Treatment Facilities (SFTF) (WQG-01). To access the draft amended General Permit and related documents visit www.depgreenport.state.pa.us/elibrary/ (select ''Permit and Authorization Packages,'' then ''Clean Water,'' then ''Draft—WQG-01 WQM General Permit for Small Flow Treatment Facilities'').

 The WQG-01 General Permit is intended to provide coverage to persons constructing and operating domestic wastewater treatment facilities with flows not greater than 2,000 gallons per day.

 The modifications that the Department is proposing to make through amendment of the WQG-01 General Permit are as follows:

 1. A proposed clarification to the size of system that may receive coverage under the general permit. The term ''Design Daily Flow'' is used in the current permit. To clarify the meaning of the term, the Department proposes to use the term ''Design Maximum Daily Flow'' as indicated in the Notice of Intent (NOI) and NOI instructions.

 2. The CO-OP RFS III system is proposed for removal from coverage under the general permit. This specific system design is rarely received in proposal as SFTF in WQM permit received by the Department.

 3. A new category of systems is proposed for coverage under the general permit in addition to the systems currently eligible for coverage under the WQG-01 General Permit. Proprietary systems that have been evaluated as SFTFs by the Department's Bureau of Clean Water and that meet the average monthly effluent standard of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, 10 mg/L for total suspended solids and 200 colony forming units/100 milliliters for fecal coliform are consistent with the Department's Small Flow Treatment Facility Manual (DEP ID: 381-2188-005) and may be approved for coverage under WQG-01 and under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges from SFTFs (PAG-04). As of the publication date of this permit, technologies that have been evaluated by the Department's Bureau of Clean Water and have been determined to be capable of achieving the relevant effluent limitations when used in conjunction with disinfection are listed in the Department's Small Flow Treatment Facilities Manual.

 4. Operation and maintenance standard conditions have been updated to clarify the minimum operation and maintenance standards.

 5. Permit eligibility requirements have been coordinated with the associated NPDES General Permit for SFTFs (PAG-04) eligibility requirements.

 The Department is proposing to amend the WQG-01 General Permit as previously described. Submission of an NOI is not required for individuals who already have coverage under this General Permit and have already constructed or started constructing their SFTF. The permittee shall be responsible for complying with the final amended General Permit as published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The Department will publish notice of the receipt of NOIs in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and will publish notice when actions are taken by the Department to approve or deny coverage under the amended WQG-01 General Permit.

 Written Comments: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the Draft WQG-01 General Permit and associated documents through Monday, December 5, 2022. Comments, including comments submitted by e-mail must include the commentator's name and address. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online eComment tool at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment. Written comments can also be submitted by e-mail to ecomment@pa.gov or by mail to the Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.

 Written comments submitted during the 30-day comment period will be retained by the Department and considered in finalizing the WQG-01 General Permit. The Department will provide an opportunity for any interested person or group of persons, any affected state, any affected interstate agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or any interested agency to request or petition for a public hearing with respect to the proposed WQG-01 General Permit. The request or petition for public hearing, which must be filed within the 30-day period allowed for filing of written comments, must indicate the interest of the party filing the request and the reasons why a hearing is warranted. A hearing will be held if there is significant public interest.

RAMEZ ZIADEH, P.E., 
Acting Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 22-1703. Filed for public inspection November 4, 2022, 9:00 a.m.]


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