DEQ marks five-years in administering Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination program

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality marks five years in administering the Idaho Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (IPDES) Program.

The state-operated program conducts permitting, compliance, inspections, and enforcement of discharge permits into Idaho waters from industrial and municipal facilities, federal facilities and stormwater systems. The IPDES Program sets pretreatment requirements and limits on what can be discharged to waterways to ensure that the discharge does not harm water quality or public health. The program also ensures Idaho permittees have direct access to state permit writers and compliance officers who have local knowledge of Idaho’s communities, facilities, and surface waters.

The IPDES Program currently manages 162 individual and general permits, along with the pretreatment and biosolids programs across the state. Since program implementation began on July 1, 2018, DEQ has issued 30 individual permits, authorized more than 500 general permit coverages, completed nearly 600 inspections, and provided extensive customer and compliance assistance. Additionally, more than 2,500 individuals have used the IPDES E-Permitting System to submit permitting, reporting, and compliance information to DEQ. The IPDES Program continues to streamline processes and procedures to improve permit development efficiency, permit compliance, and user experience with E-Permitting.