14 - CRWQCB SSO Reduction ProgramWATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
ORDER NO. 2013-XXXX-EXEC
AMENDING MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
FOR
STATEWIDE GENERAL WASTE DI SCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS
The State of California, Water Resources Control Board (hereafter State Water Board) finds:
1. The State Water Board is authorized to prescribe statewide general Waste Discharge
Requirements (WDRs) for categories of discharges that involve the same or similar operations
and the same or similar types of waste pursuant to Water Code section 13263(i).
2. Water Code section 13193 et seq . requires the Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional
Water Boards) and the State Water Board (collectively, the Water Boards) to gather
comprehensive and specific Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) information and make this
information available to the public, including but not limited to, SSO cause, estimated volume,
location, date, time, duration, whether or not the SSO reached or may have reached waters of the
State, response and corrective action taken, and an enrollee’s contact information for each SSO
event. An enrollee is defined as the public entity having legal authority over the operation and
maintenance of, or capital improvements to, a sani tary sewer system greater than one mile in
length.
3. Water Code section 13271, et seq . requires notification to the California Emergency Management
Agency (Cal EMA, formerly the California Office of Emergency Services) for certain unauthorized
discharges, including SSOs.
4. On May 2, 2006, the State Water Board adopted Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, “Statewide Waste
Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems”1 (hereafter SSS WDRs) to comply with
Water Code section 13193 and to establish the framework for the statewide SSO Reduction
Program.
5. Subsection G.2 of the SSS WDRs and the Monitoring and Reporting Program (MRP) adopted by
the State Water Board on May 2, 2006 both provide that the Executive Director may modify the
terms of the MRP at any time.
6. On February 20, 2008, the State Water Board Executive Officer revised the original MRP adopted
by the State Water Board on May 2, 2006 to rectify early notification deficiencies to ensure that
first responders are notified in a timely manner of SSOs discharged into waters of the state.
7. When notified of an SSO that reaches a drainage channel or surface water of the state, Cal EMA,
pursuant to Water Code section 13271(a)(3), forwards the SSO notification information 2 to local
1 Available for download at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_decisions/adopt ed_orders/water_quality/2006/wqo/wqo2006_0003.pdf
2 Cal EMA Hazardous Materials Spill Reports available online at:
http://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/$defaultview and http://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf
Monitoring and Reporting Progra m No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 2 of 2
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
government agencies and first responders including local public health officials and the applicable
Regional Water Board. Receipt of notifications for a single SSO event from both the SSO reporter
and Cal EMA is duplicative. To address this, the SSO notification requirements added by the
February 20, 2008 MRP revision are being removed in this MRP revision.
8. In the February 28, 2008 Memorandum of Agreement between the State Water Board and the
California Water and Environment Association (CWEA), the State Water Resources Control Board
committed to re-designing the CIWQS 3 Online SSO Database to allow “event” based SSO
reporting versus the original “location” based design. Revisions to this MRP and accompanying
changes to the CIWQS Online SSO Database will implement this change by allowing for multiple
SSO appearance points to be associated with each SSO event caused by a single asset failure.
9. In prior versions of this MRP, SSOs have been categorized as Category 1 or Category 2. This
MRP implements changes to SSO categories by adding a Category 3 SSO type. This change will
improve data collection and management to further a ssist Water Board staff with evaluation of
high threat SSOs while also assisting enrollees in identifying SSOs that require Cal EMA
notification.
10. Based on over six years of implementation of the SSS WDRs, the State Water Board concludes
that the February 20, 2008 MRP must be updated to better advance the SSO Reduction Program 4
objectives, assess compliance, and enforce the requirements of the SSS WDRs.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
Pursuant to the authority delegated by Water Code section 13267(f), Resolution No. 2002-0104, and
Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, the MRP for the SSS WDRs (Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ) is hereby
amended as shown in Attachment A and shall be effective on XXXX XX, 2013.
Dated: _____________________________
Thomas Howard
Executive Director
3 California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) publicly available at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs/publicreports.shtml
4 Statewide Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reduction Program information is available at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/sso/
ATTACHMENT A
WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
ORDER NO. 2013-XXXX-EXEC
AMENDING MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
FOR
STATEWIDE GENERAL WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS
This Monitoring and Reporting Program (MRP) establishes monitoring, record keeping, reporting and
public notification requirements for Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, “Statewide General Waste Discharge
Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems” (SSS W DRs). This MRP shall be effective from XXXX XX,
2013 until it is rescinded. The Executive Director may make revisions to this MRP at any time. These
revisions may include a reduction or increase in the monitoring and reporting requirements. All site
specific records and data developed pursuant to the SSS WDRs and this MRP shall be complete,
accurate, and justified by evidence maintained by the enrollee. Failure to comply with this MRP may
subject an enrollee to civil liabilities of up to $5,000 a day per violation pursuant to Water Code section
13350; up to $1000 a day per violation pursuant to Water Code section 13268; or referral to the Attorney
General for judicial civil enforcement. The State Wa ter Resources Control Board reserves the right to
take any further enforcement action authorized by law.
A. SUMMARY OF MRP REQUIREMENTS
Table 1 – Spill Categories and Definitions
CATEGORIES DEFINITIONS [see Section A on page 5 of SSS WDRs for SSO definition]
CATEGORY 1
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of any volume resulting from an
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that:
Reach surface water and/or reach a drainage channel tributary to a surface
water; or
Reach a municipal separate storm sewe r system and are not fully captured and
returned to the sanitary sewer system or not otherwise captured and disposed of
properly. Any volume of wastewater not recovered from the municipal separate
storm sewer system is considered to have reached surface water unless the
storm drain system discharges to a dedicated storm water or ground water
infiltration basin (e.g., infiltration pit, percolation pond).
CATEGORY 2
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of 1,000 gallons or greater
resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that do not
reach surface water, a drainage channel, or a municipal separate storm sewer system
unless the entire SSO discharged to the storm drain system is fully recovered and
disposed of properly.
CATEGORY 3
All other discharges of untreated or partia lly treated wastewater resulting from an
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition.
PRIVATE LATERAL
SEWAGE
DISCHARGE (PLSD)
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wa stewater resulting from blockages or other
problems within a privately owned sewer lateral connected to the enrollee’s sanitary
sewer system or from other private sewe r assets. PLSDs that the enrollee becomes
aware of may be voluntarily reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
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Table 2 – Notification, Reporting, Monitoring, and Record Keeping Requirements
ELEMENT REQUIREMENT METHOD
NOTIFICATION
(see section B)
Within 2 hours of becoming aware of any
Category 1 SSO greater than or equal to
1,000 gallons , notify the California Emergency
Management Agency (Cal EMA) and obtain a
notification control number.
Call Cal EMA at:
(800) 852-7550
REPORTING
(see section C)
Category 1 SSO: Submit Draft report within 3
business days of becoming aware of the SSO and
certify within 15 calendar days of SSO end date.
Category 2 SSO: Submit Draft report within 3
business days of becoming aware of the SSO and
certify within 15 calendar days of SSO end date.
Category 3 SSO: Submit Certified report within
30 calendar days of the end of month in which
SSO occurred.
SSO Technical Report: Certify within 45 calendar
days after the end date of any Category 1 SSO in
which 50,000 gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
“No Spill” Monthly Certification: Certify that no
SSOs occurred within 30 calendar days of the
end of the month in which no SSOs occurred.
Collection System Questionnaire: Update and
Certify every 12 months.
Enter data into the California
Integrated Water Quality System
(CIWQS) Online SSO Database
(http://ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov/),
certified by enrollee’s Legally
Responsible Official(s).
WATER
QUALITY
MONITORING
(see section D)
Conduct water quality sampling within 48 hours
after initial SSO notification for Category 1 SSOs
in which 50,000 gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
Water quality results are required
to be uploaded into CIWQS for
Category 1 SSOs in which 50,000
gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
.
RECORD
KEEPING
(see section E)
SSO event records.
Sanitary Sewer Management Plan (SSMP)
implementation and changes/updates to SSMP.
Records to document Water Quality Monitoring
for SSOs of 50,000 gallons or greater spilled to
surface waters.
Collection system telemetry records if relied upon
to document and/or estimate SSO Volume.
Self-maintained records shall be
available during inspections or
upon request.
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B. NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Although State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and Regional Water
Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) staff do not have duties as first responders,
this MRP is an appropriate mechanism to ensure that the agencies that have first responder
duties are notified in a timely manner in order to protect public health and beneficial uses.
1. For any Category 1 SSO greater than or equal to 1000 gallons that results or may result in a
discharge to a surface water, either directly or by way of a drainage channel or municipal
separate storm sewer system, the enrollee shall, as soon as possible, but not later than two
(2) hours after (A) the enrollee has knowledge of the discharge by discovery or receipt of
information from a public informant or other source(s), (B) notification is possible, and (C)
notification can be provided without subs tantially impeding cleanup or other emergency
measures, notify the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) and obtain a
notification control number.
2. To satisfy notification requirements for each applicable SSO, the enrollee shall provide, at a
minimum, the following information to Cal EMA before receiving a control number:
i. Name of person notifying Cal EMA and direct return phone number.
ii. Estimated SSO volume discharged (gallons).
iii. If ongoing, estimated SSO discharge rate (gallons per minute).
iv. SSO Incident Description:
a. Brief narrative.
b. On-scene point of contact for additional information (name and cell phone number).
c. Date and time enrollee became aware of the SSO.
d. Name of sanitary sewer system agency causing the SSO.
e. SSO cause (if known).
v. Indication of whether the SSO has been contained.
vi. Indication of whether surface water is impacted.
vii. Name of surface water impacted by the SSO, if applicable.
viii. Indication of whether a drinking water supply is or may be impacted by the SSO.
ix. Any other known SSO impacts.
x. SSO incident location (address, city, state, and zip code).
3. Following the initial notification to Cal EMA and until such time that an enrollee certifies the
SSO report in the California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) Online SSO
Database, the enrollee shall provide updates to Cal EMA regarding substantial changes to the
estimated volume of untreated or partially treated sewage discharged, and any substantial
change(s) to known impact(s).
4. Private Lateral Sewer Discharges (PLSDs): The enrollee is strongly encouraged to notify Cal
EMA of discharges greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons of untreated or partially treated
wastewater that result or may result in a discharge to surface water resulting from failures or
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flow conditions within a privately owned sewer lateral or from other private sewer asset(s) if
the enrollee becomes aware of the PLSD.
C. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
1. CIWQS Online SSO Database Account: All enrollees shall obtain a CIWQS Online SSO
Database account and receive a “Username” and “P assword” by registering through CIWQS.
These accounts allow controlled and secure entry into the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
2. SSO Mandatory Reporting Information: For reporting purposes, if one SSO event results
in multiple appearance points, the enrollee shall complete one SSO report in the CIWQS
Online SSO Database which includes the GPS coordinates for the location of the SSO
appearance point closest to the failure point, blockage or location of the flow condition that
caused the SSO, and provide descriptions of the locations of all other discharge points
associated with the SSO event.
3. SSO Categories
i. Category 1 – Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of any volume
resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that:
a. Reach surface water and/or reach a drainage channel tributary to a surface water; or
b. Reach a municipal separate storm sewer system and are not fully captured
and returned to the sanitary sewer sy stem or not otherwise captured and
disposed of properly. Any volume of wastewater not recovered from the
municipal separate storm sewer system is considered to have reached surface
water unless the storm drain system discharges to a dedicated storm water or
ground water infiltration basin (e.g., infiltration pit, percolation pond).
ii. Category 2 – Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater greater than or
equal to 1,000 gallons resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow
condition that does not reach surface water, a drainage channel, or the municipal
separate storm sewer system unless the entire SSO volume discharged to the storm drain
system is fully recovered and disposed of properly.
iii. Category 3 – All other discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater resulting
from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition.
4. Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reporting to CIWQS - Timeframes
i. Category 1 & Category 2 SSOs – All SSOs that meet the above criteria for Category 1 or
Category 2 SSOs shall be reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database:
a. Draft reports for Category 1 & Category 2 SSOs shall be submitted to the CIWQS
Online SSO Database within 3 business days of the enrollee becoming aware of the
SSO by citizen complaint or discovery. Minimum information that shall be reported in
a draft Category 1 SSO report shall include all information identified in section 8.i.a.
below. Minimum information that shall be reported in a Category 2 SSO draft report
shall include all information identified in section 8.i.c below.
b. A final Category 1 or Category 2 SSO report shall be certified through the CIWQS
Online SSO Database within 15 calendar days of the end date of the SSO. Minimum
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information that shall be certified in the final Category 1 SSO report shall include all
information identified in section 8.i.b below. Minimum information that shall be
certified in a final Category 2 SSO report shall include all information identified in
section 8.i.d below.
ii. Category 3 SSOs – All SSOs that meet the above criteria for Category 3 SSOs shall be
reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database and certified within 30 calendar days after
the end of the calendar month in which the SSO occurs (e.g., all Category 3 SSOs
occurring in the month of February shall be entered into the database and certified by
March 30 th ). Minimum information that shall be certified in a final Category 3 SSO report
shall include all information identified in section 8.i.e below.
iii. “No Spill” Monthly Certification – If there are no SSOs during the calendar month, the
enrollee shall certify, within 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar month, a “No
Spill” certification statement in the CIWQS Online SSO Database certifying that there
were no SSOs for the designated month. If there are no SSOs during a calendar month
but the enrollee reported a PLSD, the enrollee shall still certify a “No Spill” certification
statement for that month.
iv. Amended SSO Reports – The enrollee may update or add additional information to a
certified SSO report within 120 calendar days after the SSO end date by amending the
report or by adding an attachment to the SSO report in the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
SSO reports certified in the CIWQS Online SSO Database prior to the adoption date of
this MRP may only be amended up to 120 days after the effective date of this MRP. After
120 days, the enrollee may contact the SSO Program Manager to request to amend an
SSO report if the enrollee also submits justification for why the additional information was
not available prior to the end of the 120 days.
5. SSO Technical Report
The enrollee shall submit and certify an SSO Technical Report in the CIWQS Online SSO
Database within 45 calendar days of the SSO end date for any SSO in which 50,000 gallons
or greater is spilled to surface waters. This report, which does not preclude the Water Boards
from requiring more detailed analyses if requested, shall include at a minimum, the following:
i. Causes and Circumstances of the SSO:
a. Complete and detailed explanation of how and when the SSO was discovered.
b. Photographic evidence as required by subsection E.2.i of the this MRP, including
photographs that show field crew response operations, and reveal site conditions
after field crew SSO response operations have been completed.
c. Diagram showing the SSO failure point, appearance point(s), and final destination(s).
d. Detailed description of the methodology employed and available data used to
calculate the volume of the SSO and, if applicable, the SSO volume recovered.
e. Detailed description of the cause(s) of the SSO.
f. Copies of original field crew records used to document the SSO.
g. Historical maintenance records for the failure location.
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ii. Enrollee’s Response to SSO:
a. Chronological narrative description of all actions taken by enrollee to terminate the
spill.
b. Explanation of how the SSMP Overflow Emergency Response plan was implemented
to respond to and mitigate the SSO.
c. Final corrective action(s) completed and/or planned to be completed, including a
schedule for actions not yet completed.
iii. Water Quality Monitoring:
a. Description of all water quality sampling activities conducted including analytical
results and evaluation of the results.
b. Detailed location map illustrating all water quality sampling points.
6. Private Lateral Sewage Discharges (PLSDs)
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater resulting from blockages or other
problems within a privately owned sewer lateral connected to the enrollee’s sanitary sewer
system or from other private sanitary sewer sy stem assets may be voluntarily reported to the
CIWQS Online SSO Database.
i. The enrollee is also encouraged to provide notification to Cal EMA per section B above
when a PLSD greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons has or may result in a discharge to
surface water. For any PLSD greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons regardless of the spill
destination, the enrollee is also encouraged to file a spill report as required by Health &
Safety Code section 5410 et. seq. and Water Code section 13271, or notify the
responsible party that notification and reporting should be completed as specified above
and required by State law.
ii. If a PLSD is recorded in the CIWQS Online SSO Database, the enrollee must identify the
sewage discharge as occurring and caused by a private sanitary sewer system asset and
should identify a responsible party (other than the enrollee), if known. Certification of
PLSD reports by enrollees is not required.
7. CIWQS Online SSO Database Unavailability
In the event that the CIWQS Online SSO Database is not available, the enrollee must fax all
required information to the appropriate Regional Water Board office in accordance with the
time schedules identified herein. In such event, the enrollee must also enter all required
information into the CIWQS Online SSO Database as soon as the database becomes
available.
8. Mandatory Information to be Included in CIWQS Online SSO Reporting
All enrollees shall obtain a CIWQS Online SSO Database account and receive a “Username”
and “Password” by registering through CIWQS which can be reached at
CIWQS@waterboards.ca.gov or by calling (866) 792-4977, M-F, 8am to 5pm. These
accounts will allow controlled and secure entry into the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
Additionally, within thirty (30) days of receiv ing an account and prior to recording SSOs into
the CIWQS Online SSO Database, all enrollees must complete a Collection System
Questionnaire (Questionnaire). The Questionnaire shall be updated by all enrollees at least
once every 12 months.
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i. SSO Reports
At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall be reported prior to finalizing and
certifying an SSO report for each category of SSO:
a. Draft Category 1 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall be
reported for a draft Category 1 SSO report:
1. SSO Contact Information: Name and telephone number of enrollee contact
person who can answer specific questions about the SSO being reported.
2. SSO Location Name.
3. Location of the overflow event (SSO) by entering GPS coordinates. If a single
overflow event results in multiple appearance points, provide GPS coordinates for
the appearance point closest to the failure point and describe each additional
appearance point in the SSO appearance point explanation field.
4. Whether or not the SSO reached surface water, a drainage channel, or entered
and was discharged from a drainage structure.
5. Whether or not the SSO reached a municipal separate storm drain system.
6. Whether or not the total SSO volume that reached a municipal separate storm
drain system was fully recovered.
7. Estimate of the SSO volume, inclusive of all discharge point(s).
8. Estimate of the SSO volume that reached surface water, a drainage channel, or
was not recovered from a storm drain.
9. Estimate of the SSO volume recovered (if applicable).
10. Number of SSO appearance point(s).
11. Description and location of SSO appearance point(s). If a single sanitary sewer
system failure results in multiple SSO appearance points, each appearance point
must be described.
12. SSO start date and time.
13. Date and time the enrollee was notified of, or self-discovered, the SSO.
14. Estimated operator arrival time.
15. For spills greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons, the Date and time Cal EMA was
called.
16. For spills greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons, the Cal EMA control number.
b. Certified Category 1 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 1 SSO report, in addition to all fields in section
8.i.a :
1. Description of SSO destination(s).
2. SSO end date and time.
3. SSO causes (mainline blockage, roots, etc.).
4. SSO failure point (main, lateral, etc.).
5. Whether or not the spill was associated with a storm event.
6. Description of spill corrective action, including steps planned or taken to reduce,
eliminate, and prevent reoccurrence of the overflow; and a schedule of major
milestones for those steps.
7. Description of spill response activities.
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8. Spill response completion date.
9. Whether or not there is an ongoing investigation, the reasons for the investigation
and the expected date of completion.
10. Whether or not a beach closure occurred or may have occurred as a result of the
SSO.
11. Whether or not health warnings were posted as a result of the SSO.
12. Name of beach(es) closed and/or impacted. If no beach was impacted, NA must
be selected.
13. Name of surface water(s) impacted.
14. If water quality samples were collected, identify parameters the water quality
samples were analyzed for. If no samples were taken, NA shall be selected.
15. If water quality samples were taken, identify which regulatory agencies received
sample results (if applicable). If no samples were taken, NA shall be selected.
16. Description of methodology(ies) and type of data relied upon for estimations of
the SSO volume discharged and recovered.
17. SSO Certification: Upon SSO Certification, the CIWQS Online SSO Database will
issue a final SSO identification (ID) number.
c. Draft Category 2 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall be
reported for a draft Category 2 SSO report:
1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO.
d. Certified Category 2 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 2 SSO report:
1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO and Items 1-9, and 17
in section 8.i.b above for Certified Category 1 SSO.
e. Certified Category 3 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 3 SSO report:
1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO and Items 1-6, and 17
in section 8.i.b above for Certified Category 1 SSO.
ii. Reporting SSOs to Other Regulatory Agencies
These reporting requirements do not preclude an enrollee from reporting SSOs to other
regulatory agencies pursuant to State law. In addition, these reporting requirements do
not replace other Regional Water Board notification and reporting requirements for SSOs.
iii. Collection System Questionnaire
The required Collection System Questionnaire (Questionnaire) [see subsection G of the
SSS WDRs] provides the Water Boards with site-specific information related to the
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system. The enrollee shall complete and certify the
Questionnaire at least every 12 months to fa cilitate program implementation, compliance
assessment, and enforcement response.
iv. SSMP Availability
The enrollee shall provide the publicly avail able internet website address to the CIWQS
Online SSO Database where a downloadable copy of the enrollee’s approved SSMP,
critical supporting documents referenced in the SSMP, and proof of local governing board
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approval of the SSMP is posted. If all of the SSMP documentation listed in this
subsection is not publicly available on the internet, the enrollee shall comply with the
following procedure:
a. Submit an electronic copy of the enrollee’s approved SSMP, critical supporting
documents referenced in the SSMP, and proof of local governing board approval of
the SSMP to the State Water Board, within 30 days of that approval and within 30
days of any subsequent SSMP re-certifications, to the following mailing address:
State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Water Quality
Attn: SSO Program Manager
1001 I Street, 15 th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
D. WATER QUALITY MONITORING REQUIREMENTS:
To comply with subsection D.7(v) of the SSS WDRs, the enrollee shall develop and
implement an SSO Water Quality Monitoring Program to assess impacts from SSOs to
surface waters in which 50,000 gallons or greater may have been spilled to surface waters.
The SSO Water Quality Monitoring Program, shall, at a minimum:
1. Require water quality analyses for nutrients and bacterial indicators to be performed by an
accredited or certified laboratory.
2. Require monitoring instruments and devices to implement the SSO Water Quality Monitoring
Program to be properly maintained and calibra ted, including any records to document
maintenance and calibration, as necessary to ensure their continued accuracy.
3. Within 48 hours of initial notification from a complainant, informant, or through self-discover
(whichever is earliest) require water quality sampling for, at a minimum, the following
constituents:
i. Nutrients, including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and ammonia; and
ii. Bacterial indicators, including total and fecal coliform, enterococcus, and e-coli.
4. Allow for additional water quality monitoring should the Water Boards require it for SSO(s) of
any size.
E. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS:
The following records shall be maintained by the enrollee for a minimum of five (5) years and
shall be made available for review by the Wate r Boards during an onsite inspection or through
an information request:
1. General Records: The enrollee shall maintain records to document compliance with all
provisions of the SSS WDRs and this MRP for each sanitary sewer system owned including
any required records generated by an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system contractor(s).
2. SSO Records: The enrollee shall maintain records for each SSO event, including but not
limited to:
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i. Photographic evidence showing the extent of Category 1 and Category 2 SSO events that
support spill volume estimates and whether the spill reached or did not reach surface
waters, a drainage channel tributary to a surface water or a municipal separate storm
sewer system. In addition, photographic evidence for Category 1 and Category 2 SSOs
shall be attached to the SSO report in the CIWQS Online SSO Database prior to
certification of the SSO report by the Legally Responsible Official. Photographic evidence
shall not be required for any SSO event if circumstances beyond the reasonable control of
the enrollee or site conditions (e.g., safety, night conditions) prohibit photographs from
being obtained in the field. For situat ions where photographic evidence could not be
obtained, the enrollee must provide a certified statement in the SSO Online Database
regarding why photographic evidence could not be obtained. Photographic evidence is
strongly recommended but not required for Category 3 SSO events. If photographic
evidence is not maintained for Category 3 SSO events, the enrollee shall maintain
documentation to substantiate the extent of each Category 3 SSO event, that support spill
volume estimates, and support the conclusion that the SSO event did not reach surface
waters or that it was fully recovered from a drainage channel tributary to a surface water
or from a municipal separate storm sewer system.
ii. Complaint records documenting how the enrollee responded to all notifications of possible
or actual SSOs, both during and after business hours, including complaints that do not
result in SSOs. Each complaint record shall, at a minimum, include the following
information:
a. Date, time, and method of notification.
b. Date and time the complainant or informant first noticed the SSO.
c. Narrative description of the complaint, including whether or not the complainant or
informant reporting the potential SSO thinks the SSO has reached surface waters,
drainage channels or storm drains.
d. Name, address, and contact telephone number of the complainant or informant
reporting the potential SSO (if not reported anonymously).
e. Follow-up return contact information for complainant or informant for each complaint
received (if not reported anonymously).
f. Final resolution of the complaint.
iii. Records documenting steps and/or remedial actions undertaken by enrollee, using all
available information, to comply with section D.7 of the SSS WDRs.
iv. Records documenting how all estimate(s) of volume(s) discharged and, if applicable,
volume(s) recovered were calculated.
3. Records documenting all changes made to the SSMP since its last certification indicating
when a subsection(s) of the SSMP was changed and/or updated and who authorized the
change or update. These records shall be attached to the SSMP.
4. Electronic monitoring records relied upon for documenting SSO events and/or estimating the
SSO volume discharged, including, but not limited to records from:
i. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems;
ii. Alarm system(s); and
Monitoring and Reporting Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 11 of 11
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
iii. Flow monitoring device(s) or other instrument (s) used to estimate wastewater levels, flow
rates and/or volumes.
F. CERTIFICATION
1. All information required to be reported into the CIWQS Online SSO Database shall be
certified by a person designated as described in subsection J of the SSS WDRs. This
designated person is also known as a legally responsible official (LRO). An enrollee may
have more than one LRO.
2. Any designated person (LRO) shall be registered with the State Water Board to certify reports
in accordance with the CIWQS protocols for reporting.
3. Data Submitter (DS): Any enrollee employee or contractor may enter draft data into the
CIWQS Online SSO Database on behalf of the enrollee if authorized by the LRO and
registered with the State Water Board. Howeve r, only LROs may certify reports in CIWQS.
4. The enrollee shall maintain continuous coverage by an LRO. Any change of a registered
LRO or DS (e.g., retired staff), including deactivation or a change to the LRO’s or DS’s
contact information, shall be submitted by the enrollee to the State Water Board within 30
days of the change by calling (866) 792-4977 or emailing help@ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov .
5. A registered designated person (i.e., an LRO) shall certify all required reports under penalty of
perjury laws of the state as stated in the CIWQS Online SSO Database at the time of
certification.
CERTIFICATION
The undersigned Clerk to the Board does hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct
copy of an order amended by the Executive Director of the State Water Board.
______________________________________
Jeanine Townsend
Clerk to the Board
Via Elec t
April 15 ,
Russell N
SSO Re d
State W a
1001 I S t
Sacrame n
rnorman @
Sub j ect:
Dear Mr .
T
commen t
Require m
As you k
wastewa t
are com m
partners w
complia n
W
spent wi t
discussi o
issues w e
changes o
format w
T
for all C a
this new
sanitary s
factor in
was the f
focusing
useful d o
t ronic Mai l
, 2013
N orman
d uction Pro g
a ter Resourc e
t reet
n to, CA 95 8
@ waterboa r
Comme n
Dischar g
. Norman:
T he undersig n
t s on the re v
m ents (WD R
k now, our as
t er treatmen t
m itted to the
w ith the Sta t
n ce with the
W e wish to t h
t h our repre s
o ns have be e
e previously
o n the curre n
w ith explana t
T he most sig n
a tegory 1 an
requiremen t
s ewer overf l
our Associ a
f act that the c
on the end g
o cumentatio n
g ra m
e s Control B
14
r ds.ca.gov
n ts on Prop o
g e Require m
n ed associa t
v ised draft o f
R ) Monitori n
s ociations r e
t , and water
effective a n
t e Water Re
orde r .
h ank the Sta t
s entatives di s
n very prod u
identified.
n t draft. As
t ions in yell o
n ificant rem a
d Category 2
t , it is impor t
l ows (SSOs )
a tions’ objec t
c hanges see m
g oal of redu c
n , our conce r
B oar d
o sed Chan ge
m ents (WD R
t ions (Assoc i
f the propos e
n g and Repo r
e present pu b
recycling s e
n d appropria t
s ources Co n
t e Water Bo
s cussing ou r
u ctive, and h
This letter t r
before, ou r
o w-highligh t
a ining issue
2 sanitary s e
t ant to cons i
) in order to p
t ion to the e a
m ed to be d r
c ing SSOs.
r n is that th e
e s to Sanit a
R ) Monitori n
i ations) app r
e d Sanitary S
r ting Progra m
b lic wastewa
e rvices to m i
t e impleme n
n trol Board i n
ard manage m
r concerns w
h ave succes s
r ansmits ou r
comments a
t ing immedi a
is the new r
e wer overflo w
i der the stat e
p rotect the e
a rlier propo s
r iven by rec o
While we u n
e creation o f
Summit Par t
- Ba y Area C
- California
- Central V a
- California
- Southern C
a r y Sewer S y
ng and Rep
r eciate the o
S ewer Syste m
m (MRP) re l
a ter agencies
i llions of C a
n tation of th e
n facilitatin g
m ent and st a
w ith the prio r
s fully resolv e
r comments a
a re presente d
a tely follow
r equirement
ws. In cons
e d purposes
e nvironmen t
s ed amend m
o r d -keeping
n derstand t h
f a record fo r
r tners:
C lean Water A g e n
Association of S a
a lle y Clean Water
Water Environm e
C alifornia Allianc e
Reply to:
y stem (SSS )
ortin g Pro g
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m (SSS) W a
leased on M
providing s
a lifornians. O
e SSS WDR
g understan d
a ff for the ti m
r drafts of t h
ed a numbe r
and suggest e
d in an unde r
ing the cha n
for photogr a
idering the a
of the SSS W
t and public h
m ents to the S
considerati o
h at photogra p
r potential f u
n cies (BACWA)
a nitation A g encies
Association (CV C
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e of Publicl y Own
1
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g ram (MR P
o provide w
a ste Dischar g
M arch 28, 20 1
s ewer collec t
O ur associa t
and have b e
d ing of and
m e you hav e
h e MRP. Th e
r of the maj o
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r line/strikeo u
n ges.
a phic evide n
a dvisability
W DR: to re d
h ealth. A m
S SS WDR i t
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enforce m
effective
spills wi l
and sho u
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not prod u
same ti m
S
specifics
SSOs oc c
b ecome s
question s
keeping s
F
photogr a
photogr a
most, th e
evidenc e
time of t h
W
shared g o
maintain
State W a
availabl e
Sincerel y
Roberta L
Executi v
Terrie M
Chair, T r
David R .
Executi v
m ent action i s
l y to protec t
l l, in some c a
u ld be the to p
m ay b e disp a
u ctive to ha v
m e as they ar e
econdly, th e
of what is b
c ur at night o
s ubjects of d
s of volume ,
s ystem that i
or this reas o
a phic eviden c
a phs as part o
e MRP or a d
as a best m a
h e SSO.
W e do value
o al of reduc i
ed. We hop
a ter Board t o
e to meet wi t
y ,
L arson
v e Director, C
M itchell
r i-TAC
. Williams
v e Director, B
s b eing emp h
t public heal t
a ses, interfe r
p priority of
a tched to res p
v e field wor k
e working t o
e photograp h
b eing record e
o r under co n
d isagreemen t
destination ,
i s out of pro p
o n, we ask t h
c e for all C a
o f the Tech n
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a nagement p
the product i
i ng SSOs an
e that we ar e
o move forw a
t h you and d
C ASA
B ACWA
h asized ove r
t h and safet y
r e with stop p
the respond e
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k ers trying t o
o stop and c o
h s are only o
e d: when t h
n ditions of l i
t and debate
, etc. The r e
p ortion wit h
h at the State
a tegory 1 an d
n ical Report r
u tion shoul d
p ractice wh e
i ve working
d ensuring t h
e able to res o
a rd with fin a
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De b
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at is depicte
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re well ope r
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n ience.
r
er, CVWA
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E A
April 15,
e duction Pr o
Pa
m ptly and
for all of t h
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w er mainten a
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and verify t
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photograph i
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always, we
2013
o gram
a ge | 2
h ese
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a nce
I t is
h e
t he
n
e s
o rd
f the
A t
i c
e nd
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e
are
John Pas
Executi v
cc: T
J o
C
tore
v e Director, S
T om Howar d
o nathan Bis h
C ris Carriga n
S CAP
d , Executive
h op, Deput y
n , Director, O
Director, St a
y Executive D
O ffice of En f
R
a te Water R e
D irector, St a
f orcement, S
R ussell Nor m
esources C o
a te Water R e
S tate Water R
m an, SSO R e
o ntrol Boar d
e sources Co n
R esources C
April 15,
e duction Pr o
Pa
n trol Boar d
C ontrol Boa r
2013
o gram
a ge | 3
rd
WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
ORDER NO. 2013-XXXX-EXEC
AMENDING MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
FOR
STATEWIDE GENERAL WASTE DI SCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS
Note: yellow-highlighted text is an explanation of the substant ive comment(s) made above it.
The State of California, Water Resources Control Board (hereafter State Water Board) finds:
1. The State Water Board is authorized to prescribe statewide general Waste Discharge
Requirements (WDRs) for categories of discharges that involve the same or similar operations
and the same or similar types of waste pursuant to Water Code section 13263(i).
2. Water Code section 13193 et seq . requires the Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional
Water Boards) and the State Water Board (collectively, the Water Boards) to gather
comprehensive and specific Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) information and make this
information available to the public, including but not limited to, SSO cause, estimated volume,
location, date, time, duration, whether or not the SSO reached or may have reached surface
waters of the State , response and corrective action taken, and an enrollee’s contact information
for each SSO event. An enrollee is defined as the public entity having legal authority over the
operation and maintenance of, or capital improvements to, a sanitary sewer system greater than
one mile in length.
It was previously agreed that the term “water(s) of the state” would not be used in the revised
MRP.
3. Water Code section 13271, et seq . requires notification to the California Emergency Management
Agency (Cal EMA, formerly the California Office of Emergency Services) for certain unauthorized
discharges, including SSOs.
4. On May 2, 2006, the State Water Board adopted Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, “Statewide Waste
Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems”1 (hereafter SSS WDRs) to comply with
Water Code section 13193 and to establish the framework for the statewide SSO Reduction
Program.
5. Subsection G.2 of the SSS WDRs and the Monitoring and Reporting Program (MRP) adopted by
the State Water Board on May 2, 2006 both provide that the Executive Director may modify the
terms of the MRP at any time.
6. On February 20, 2008, the State Water Board Executive Officer revised the original MRP adopted
by the State Water Board on May 2, 2006 to rectify implement early notification deficiencies to
ensure that first responders are notified in a timely manner of SSOs discharged into waters of the
state by response agencies (municipal sanitary sewer collection agencies).
Cal EMA is not a first responder. The municipal collection system agencies are first responders.
1 Available for download at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_decisions/adopt ed_orders/water_quality/2006/wqo/wqo2006_0003.pdf
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 2 of 2
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
By calling Cal EMA a first responder, you will be confusing municipal collection system agencies
about their important role in cleaning up an overflow.
7. When notified of an SSO that reaches a drainage channel or surface water of the state , Cal EMA,
pursuant to Water Code section 13271(a)(3), forwards the SSO notification information 2 to local
government agencies and first responders including local public health officials and as well as the
applicable Regional Water Board. Receipt of notifications for a single SSO event from both the
SSO reporter and Cal EMA is duplicative. To address this, the SSO notification requirements
added by the February 20, 2008 MRP revision are being removed in this MRP revision.
8. In the February 28, 2008 Memorandum of Agreement between the State Water Board and the
California Water and Environment Association (CWEA), the State Water Resources Control Board
committed to re-designing the CIWQS 3 Online SSO Database to allow “event” based SSO
reporting versus the original “location” based des ign. Revisions to this MRP and accompanying
changes to the CIWQS Online SSO Database will implement this change by allowing for multiple
SSO appearance points to be associated with each SSO event caused by a single asset failure.
9. In prior versions of this MRP, SSOs have been categorized as Category 1 or Category 2. This
MRP implements changes to SSO categories by adding a Category 3 SSO type. This change will
improve data collection and management to further assist Water Board staff with evaluation of
high threat SSOs while also assisting enrollees in identifying SSOs that require Cal EMA
notification.
10. Based on over six years of implementation of the SSS WDRs, the State Water Board concludes
that the February 20, 2008 MRP must be updated to better advance the SSO Reduction Program 4
objectives, assess compliance, and enforce the requirements of the SSS WDRs.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
Pursuant to the authority delegated by Water Code section 13267(f), Resolution No. 2002-0104, and
Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, the MRP for the SSS WDRs (Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ) is hereby
amended as shown in Attachment A and shall be effective on XXXX XX, 2013.
Dated: _____________________________
Thomas Howard
Executive Director
2 Cal EMA Hazardous Materials Spill Reports available online at:
http://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf/$defaultview and http://w3.calema.ca.gov/operational/malhaz.nsf
3 California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) publicly available at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs/publicreports.shtml
4 Statewide Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reduction Program information is available at:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/sso/
ATTACHMENT A
WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
ORDER NO. 2013-XXXX-EXEC
AMENDING MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM
FOR
STATEWIDE GENERAL WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS
This Monitoring and Reporting Program (MRP) establishes monitoring, record keeping, reporting and
public notification requirements for Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ, “Statewide General Waste Discharge
Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems” (SSS WDRs). This MRP shall be effective from XXXX XX,
2013 until it is rescinded. The Executive Director ma y make revisions to this MRP at any time. These
revisions may include a reduction or increase in the monitoring and reporting requirements. All site
specific records and data developed pursuant to the SSS WDRs and this MRP shall be complete,
accurate, and justified by evidence maintained by the enrollee. Failure to comply with this MRP may
subject an enrollee to civil liabilities of up to $5,000 a day per violation pursuant to Water Code section
13350; up to $1000 a day per violation pursuant to Water Code section 13268; or referral to the Attorney
General for judicial civil enforcement. The State Water Resources Control Board reserves the right to
take any further enforcement action authorized by law.
A. SUMMARY OF MRP REQUIREMENTS
Table 1 – Spill Categories and Definitions 1
CATEGORIES DEFINITIONS [see Section A on page 5 of SSS WDRs for SSO definition]
CATEGORY 1
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of any volume resulting from an
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that:
Reach surface water and/or reach a drainage channel tributary to a surface
water; or
Reach a municipal separate storm sewer system and are not fully captured and
returned to the sanitary sewer system or not otherwise captured and disposed of
properly. Any volume of wastewater not recovered from the municipal separate
storm sewer system is considered to have reached surface water unless the
storm drain system discharges to a dedicated storm water or ground water
infiltration basin (e.g., infiltration pit, percolation pond).
CATEGORY 2
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of 1,000 gallons or greater
resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that do not
reach surface water, a drainage channel, or a municipal separate storm sewer system
unless the entire SSO discharged to the storm drain system is fully recovered and
disposed of properly . The volume of SSO recovered should not be included in the 1,000
gallon threshold for Category 2.
This change is needed because it is more realistic for what should rise to the importance
of a Category 2, plus it gives incentive to agencies to recover SSO volume.
CATEGORY 3
All other discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater resulting from an
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition.
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 2 of 15
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
PRIVATE LATERAL
SEWAGE
DISCHARGE (PLSD)
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wa stewater resulting from blockages or other
problems within a privately owned sewer lateral connected to the enrollee’s sanitary
sewer system or from other private sewer assets. PLSDs that the enrollee becomes
aware of may be voluntarily reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
1 The summary included in Table 1 above is intended to provide an easy reference for permittees,
however, if language in this table is different from language in the narrative portion of this MRP, then
the narrative language governs.
This qualifier (footnote) is needed for cl arity because there will undoubtedly be
inconsistencies or potential confusion otherwise.
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 3 of 15
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
Table 2 – Notification, Reporting, Monitoring, and Record Keeping Requirements 1
ELEMENT REQUIREMENT METHOD
NOTIFICATION
(see section B)
Within 2 hours of becoming aware of having
knowledge of any Category 1 SSO greater than
or equal to
1,000 gallons , notify the California Emergency
Management Agency (Cal EMA) and obtain a
notification control number.
This language was changed to be consistent with
the language in Section B below. In addition, the
2-hour clock should not begin until the municipal
agency is able to confirm that an SSO is real. A
complaint is not equivalent to knowledge. And
two hours is already a VERY short period of time.
Also, the “Category 1 SSO” text should also be
bolded and underlined because it is a very
important part of the definition.
Call Cal EMA at:
(800) 852-7550
REPORTING
(see section C)
Category 1 SSO: Submit Draft report within 3
business days of becoming aware of the SSO and
certify within 15 calendar days of SSO end date.
Category 2 SSO: Submit Draft report within 3
business days of becoming aware of the SSO and
certify within 15 calendar days of SSO end date.
Category 3 SSO: Submit Certified report within
30 calendar days of the end of month in which
SSO occurred.
SSO Technical Report: Certify within 45 calendar
days after the end date of any Category 1 SSO in
which 50,000 gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
“No Spill” Monthly Certific ation: Cert ify that no
SSOs occurred within 30 calendar days of the
end of the month in which no SSOs occurred.
Collection System Questionnaire: Update and
Certify every 12 months.
Enter data into the California
Integrated Water Quality System
(CIWQS) Online SSO Database
(http://ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov/),
certified by enrollee’s Legally
Responsible Official(s).
WATER
QUALITY
MONITORING
(see section D)
Conduct water quality sampling within 48 hours
after initial SSO notification for Category 1 SSOs
in which 50,000 gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
Water quality results are required
to be uploaded into CIWQS for
Category 1 SSOs in which 50,000
gallons or greater is spilled to
surface waters.
.
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 4 of 15
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
RECORD
KEEPING
(see section E)
SSO event records.
Sanitary Sewer Management Plan (SSMP)
implementation and changes/updates to SSMP.
Records to document Water Quality Monitoring
for SSOs of 50,000 gallons or gr eater spilled to
surface waters.
Collection system telemetry records if relied upon
to document and/or estimate SSO Volume.
We request deletion of the word “implementation” in
an SSMP context because that term is very vague
and no one will know w hat is meant by it.
Self-maintained records shall be
available during inspections or
upon request.
1 The summary included in Table 1 above is intended to provide an easy reference for permittees,
however, if language in this table is different from language in the narrative portion of this MRP, then
the narrative language governs.
This qualifier (footnote) is needed for cl arity because there will undoubtedly be
inconsistencies or potential confusion otherwise.
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 5 of 15
Statewide WDRs for Sanitary Sewer Systems
B. NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Although State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and Regional Water
Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board ) staff do not have duties as first responders,
t T his MRP is an appropriate mechanism to ensure that certain public the agencies that have
first responder duties are notified in a timely manner in order to protect public health and
beneficial uses.
The municipal collection system agencies are fi rst responders – they’re the entities that are
cleaning up the overflow. If you call Cal EMA or a public health agency a first responder, you
will confuse municipal collection system agencies about their role in cleaning up an overflow.
1. For any Category 1 SSO greater than or equal to 1000 gallons that results or may result in a
discharge to a surface water, either directly or by way of a drainage channel or municipal
separate storm sewer system, the enrollee shall, as soon as possible, but not later than two
(2) hours after (A) the enrollee has knowledge of the discharge by discovery or receipt of
information from a public informant or other source(s), (B) notification is possible, and (C)
notification can be provided without substantially impeding cleanup or other emergency
measures, notify the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) and obtain a
notification control number.
We request that the words “Category 1 SSO” also be underlined, to be more clear.
Also, it is critical that the 2-hour clock fo r municipal agencies not begin until the municipal
agency is able to confirm that an SSO is real. A complaint is not equivalent to knowledge and
verification is important. Two hours after confirmation is already a VERY short period of time.
2. To satisfy notification requirements for each applicable SSO, the enrollee shall provide , at a
minimum, the following information to requested by Cal EMA before receiving a control
number . Such information may include :
i. Name of person notifying Cal EMA and direct return phone number.
ii. Estimated SSO volume discharged (gallons).
iii. If ongoing, estimated SSO discharge rate (gallons per minute).
iv. SSO Incident Description:
a. Brief narrative.
b. On-scene point of contact for additional information (name and cell phone number).
c. Date and time enrollee became aware of the SSO.
d. Name of sanitary sewer system agency causing the SSO.
e. SSO cause (if known).
v. Indication of whether the SSO has been contained.
vi. Indication of whether surface water is impacted.
vii. Name of surface water impacted by the SSO, if applicable.
viii. Indication of whether a drinking water supply is or may be impacted by the SSO.
ix. Any other known SSO impacts.
Monitoring and Reporti ng Program No. 2013-XXXX-DWQ Page 6 of 15
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x. SSO incident location (address, city, state, and zip code).
Cal EMA decides the level of information sufficient to issue a control number, which can’t
be dictated by the MRP.
3. Following the initial notification to Cal EMA and until such time that an enrollee certifies the
SSO report in the California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) Online SSO
Database, the enrollee shall provide updates to Cal EMA regarding substantial changes to the
estimated volume of untreated or partially treated sewage discharged, and any substantial
change(s) to known impact(s).
4. Private Lateral Sewer Discharges (PLSDs): The enrollee is strongly encouraged to notify Cal
EMA of discharges greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons of untreated or partially treated
wastewater that result or may result in a discharge to surface water resulting from failures or
flow conditions within a privately owned sewer lateral or from other private sewer asset(s) if
the enrollee becomes aware of the PLSD. The enrollee will not be held responsible for the
cause or cleanup of the private sewer discharge, or the repair of the private sewer system
asset.
C. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
1. CIWQS Online SSO Database Account: All enrollees shall obtain a CIWQS Online SSO
Database account and receive a “Username” and “Password” by registering through CIWQS.
These accounts allow controlled and secure entry into the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
2. SSO Mandatory Reporting Information: For reporting purposes, if one SSO event results
in multiple appearance points, the enrollee shall complete one SSO report in the CIWQS
Online SSO Database , including which includ es the GPS coordinates for the location of the
SSO appearance point closest to the failure point, blockage or location of the flow condition
that caused the SSO, and provide descriptions of the location (s ) of all other discharge points
associated with the SSO event.
These changes to the previous version of the MRP update are supported by the associations.
Not all agencies will have GPS coordinates for every appearance point, and not all agencies
will know which appearance points are closest to the failure point. In any event, determining
the location of SSO appearance point closest to the failure point is not a good use of scarce
public resources.
3. SSO Categories
i. Category 1 – Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater of any volume
resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition that:
a. Reach surface water and/or reach a drainage channel tributary to a surface water; or
b. Reach a municipal separate storm sewer system and are not fully captured
and returned to the sanitary sewer system or not otherwise captured and
disposed of properly. Any volume of wastewater not recovered from the
municipal separate storm sewer system is considered to have reached surface
water unless the storm drain system discharges to a dedicated storm water or
ground water infiltration basin (e.g., infiltration pit, percolation pond).
ii. Category 2 – Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater greater than or
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equal to 1,000 gallon s resulting from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow
condition that does not reach surface water, a drainage channel, or the municipal
separate storm sewer system unless the entire SSO volume discharged to the storm drain
system is fully recovered and disposed of properly . The volume of SSO recovered should
not be included in the 1,000 gallon threshold for Category 2.
This change is needed because it is more realistic for what should rise to the importance
of a Category 2, plus it gives incentive to agencies to recover SSO volume.
iii. Category 3 – All other discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater resulting
from an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system failure or flow condition.
4. Sanitary Sewer Overflow Reporting to CIWQS - Timeframes
i. Category 1 & Category 2 SSOs – All SSOs that meet the above criteria for Category 1 or
Category 2 SSOs shall be reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database:
a. Draft reports for Category 1 & Category 2 SSOs shall be submitted to the CIWQS
Online SSO Database within 3 business days of the enrollee becoming aware of the
SSO by citizen complaint or discovery . Minimum information that shall be reported in
a draft Category 1 SSO report shall include all information identified in section 8.i.a.
below. Minimum information that shall be reported in a Category 2 SSO draft report
shall include all information identified in section 8.i.c below.
b. A final Category 1 or Category 2 SSO report shall be certified through the CIWQS
Online SSO Database within 15 calendar days of the end date of the SSO. Minimum
information that shall be certified in the final Category 1 SSO report shall include all
information identified in section 8.i.b below. Minimum information that shall be
certified in a final Category 2 SSO report shall include all information identified in
section 8.i.d below.
ii. Category 3 SSOs – All SSOs that meet the above criteria for Category 3 SSOs shall be
reported to the CIWQS Online SSO Database and certified within 30 calendar days after
the end of the calendar month in which the SSO occurs (e.g., all Category 3 SSOs
occurring in the month of February shall be entered into the database and certified by
March 30 th ). Minimum information that shall be certified in a final Category 3 SSO report
shall include all information identified in section 8.i.e below.
iii. “No Spill” Monthly Certification – If there are no SSOs during the calendar month, the
enrollee shall certify, within 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar month, a “No
Spill” certification statement in the CIWQS Online SSO Database certifying that there
were no SSOs for the designated month. If there are no SSOs during a calendar month
but the enrollee reported a PLSD, the enrollee shall still certify a “No Spill” certification
statement for that month.
iv. Amended SSO Reports – The enrollee may update or add additional information to a
certified SSO report within 120 calendar days after the SSO end date by amending the
report or by adding an attachment to the SSO report in the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
SSO reports certified in the CIWQS Online SSO Database prior to the adoption date of
this MRP may only be amended up to 120 days after the effective date of this MRP. After
120 days, the enrollee may amend its report by contact ing the SSO Program Manager to
request to amend an SSO report if the enrollee also and submit ing s justification for why
the additional information was not available prior to the end of the 120 days.
It’s important to not change the rules for overflows that have already occurred, and it’s
important to not require an approval step on the part of State Water Board staff. In
addition, Section I.1 of the WDR states: “If an Enrollee becomes aware that it failed to
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submit any relevant facts in any report required under this Order, the Enrollee shall
promptly submit such facts or information by formally amending the report in the Online
SSO Database.” So the above edits also remove subjective language which may limit the
ability for a permittee to comply with the WDR.
5. SSO Technical Report
The enrollee shall submit and certify an SSO Technical Report in the CIWQS Online SSO
Database within 45 calendar days of the SSO end date for any SSO in which 50,000 gallons
or greater is not recovered from spilled to surface waters. This report, which does not
preclude the Water Boards from requiring more detailed analyses if requested, shall include
at a minimum, the following:
The associations request that the language from the previous version of the MRP update be
retained, to provide incentive for recovering overflow volume.
i. Causes and Circumstances of the SSO:
a. Complete and detailed explanation of how and when the SSO was discovered.
b. Photographic evidence as required by subsection E.2.i of the this MRP , including
photographs that show field crew response operations, and reveal site conditions
after field crew SSO response operations have been completed.
c. Diagram showing the SSO failure point, appearance point(s), and final destination(s).
d. D etailed d escription of the methodology employed and available data used to
calculate the volume of the SSO and, if applicable, the SSO volume recovered.
e. D etailed d escription of the cause(s) of the SSO.
f. Copies of original field crew records used to document the SSO.
g. Historical maintenance records for the failure location.
See information below on the associations comments regarding photographs. Separately, we
request that the word “detailed” be removed because it is confusing. The Technical Report
should not require duplicative information that is also required by normal reporting
requirements.
ii. Enrollee’s Response to SSO:
a. Chronological narrative description of all actions taken by enrollee to terminate the
spill.
b. Explanation of how the SSMP Overflow Emergency Response plan was implemented
to respond to and mitigate the SSO.
c. Final corrective action(s) completed and/or planned to be completed, including a
schedule for actions not yet completed.
iii. Water Quality Monitoring:
a. Description of all water quality samplin g activities conducted including analytical
results and evaluation of the results.
b. Detailed location map illustrating all water quality sampling points.
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If more than 45 days are needed to complete the Technical Report, the State Water Board’s
or Regional Water Board’s approval (either is sufficient) will not be unreasonably withheld.
There may be circumstances when 45 days is simply not enough time to provide a reliable
description of the cause (for example) or other elements of the Technical Report, and it may
be in the interest of all parties to get to the bottom of it. For example, for one agency that was
very pro-active, it actually took 4 months to figure out the cause. Therefore, the associations
request that an extension be available if needed. (We think this is a better solution than the
alternative, which would be to add “if known” after each information item required.)
6. Private Lateral Sewage Discharges (PLSDs)
Discharges of untreated or partially treated wastewater resulting from blockages or other
problems within a privately owned sewer lateral connected to the enrollee’s sanitary sewer
system or from other private sanitary sewer system assets may be voluntarily reported to the
CIWQS Online SSO Database.
i. The enrollee is also encouraged to provide notification to Cal EMA per section B above
when a PLSD greater than or equal to 1,000 gal lons has or may result in a discharge to
surface water. For any PLSD greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons regardless of the spill
destination, the enrollee is also encouraged to file a spill report as required by Health & Safety
Code section 5410 et. seq. and Water Code section 13271, or notify the responsible party
that notification and reporting should be completed as specified above and required by State
law.
Including the deleted language will create a disincentive to voluntarily report PLSDs. First,
the statement “as required by Health & Safety Code section 5410 et seq. and Water Code
section 13271” is inconsistent with the understanding that agency reporting of PLDS is
voluntary, i.e. not required. Second, requiring enrollees to notify private lateral owners of the
reporting obligations is fraugh t with problems. Who decides when private reporting is
required? Section 13271 requires notification of spills into “waters of the state”. Health &
Safety Code section 5410 et seq. requires reporting when an agency finds there is pollution
that unreasonably effects water quality or is a nuisance. How does an enrollee advise a
private party regarding their reporting requirements without making a judgment call regarding
the category of spill? What if the enrollee makes the wrong call? What if the enrollee advises
a private party to report and they refuse? Last ly, the enrollee should not be asked to notify
private parties of reporting requirements for PLSDs. If the state wants enrollees to advise
private parties to report spills, the state should provide a designated contact (telephone
and/or e-mail address) that the private party can use to make a report and receive guidance
on how to complete the process so the burden does not fall on the local agency.
ii. If a PLSD is recorded in the CIWQS Online SSO Database, the enrollee must identify the
sewage discharge as occurring and caused by a private sanitary sewer system asset and
should identify a responsible party (other than the enrollee), if known. Certification of
PLSD reports by enrollees is not required.
7. CIWQS Online SSO Database Unavailability
In the event that the CIWQS Online SSO Database is not available, the enrollee must fax or
email all required information to the appropriate Regional Water Board office in accordance
with the time schedules identified herein. In such event, the enrollee must also enter all
required information into the CIWQS Online SSO Database as soon as when the database
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becomes available.
Please note that the associations would prefer to just be required to submit the information
when the system is back online, without having this extra reporting. For important overflows,
notice is already being given to Cal EMA within two hours, and Cal EMA is contacting the
Regional Water Board already. By requiring another report as shown above, there is an
administrative burden in that the agency has to do the report twice just because the system is
offline, and the small delay that would result is not unreasonable, given that CIWQS reports
are not required for three business days anyway.
8. Mandatory Information to be Included in CIWQS Online SSO Reporting
All enrollees shall obtain a CIWQS Online SSO Database account and receive a “Username”
and “Password” by registering through CIWQS which can be reached at
CIWQS@waterboards.ca.gov or by calling (866) 792-4977, M-F, 8am to 5pm. These
accounts will allow controlled and secure entry into the CIWQS Online SSO Database.
Additionally, within thirty (30) days of receiving an account and prior to recording SSOs into
the CIWQS Online SSO Database, all enrollees must complete a Collection System
Questionnaire (Questionnaire). T he Questionnaire shall be updated by all enrollees at least
once every 12 months.
i. SSO Reports
At a minimum, the following mandatory informatio n shall be reported prior to finalizing and
certifying an SSO report for each category of SSO:
a. Draft Category 1 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall be
reported for a draft Category 1 SSO report:
1. SSO Contact Information: Name and telephone number of enrollee contact
person who can answer specific questions about the SSO being reported.
2. SSO Location Name.
3. Location of the overflow event (SSO) by entering GPS coordinates. If a single
overflow event results in multiple appearance points, provide GPS coordinates for
the appearance point closest to the failure point and describe each additional
appearance point in the SSO appearance point explanation field.
4. Whether or not the SSO reached surface water, a drainage channel, or entered
and was discharged from a drainage structure.
5. Whether or not the SSO reached a municipal separate storm drain system.
6. Whether or not the total SSO volume that reached a municipal separate storm
drain system was fully recovered.
7. Estimate of the SSO volume, inclusive of all discharge point(s).
8. Estimate of the SSO volume that reached surface water, a drainage channel, or
was not recovered from a storm drain.
9. Estimate of the SSO volume recovered (if applicable).
10. Number of SSO appearance point(s).
11. Description and location of SSO appearance point(s). If a single sanitary sewer
system failure results in multiple SSO appearance points, each appearance point
must be described.
12. SSO start date and time.
13. Date and time the enrollee was notified of, or self-discovered, the SSO.
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14. Estimated operator arrival time.
15. For spills greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons, the Date and time Cal EMA was
called.
16. For spills greater than or equal to 1,000 gallons, the Cal EMA control number.
b. Certified Category 1 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 1 SSO report, in addition to all fields in section
8.i.a :
1. Description of SSO destination(s).
2. SSO end date and time.
3. SSO causes (mainline blockage, roots, etc.).
4. SSO failure point (main, lateral, etc.).
5. Whether or not the spill was associated with a storm event.
6. Description of spill corrective action, including steps planned or taken to reduce,
eliminate, and prevent reoccurrence of the overflow; and a schedule of major
milestones for those steps.
7. Description of spill response activities.
8. Spill response completion date.
9. Whether or not there is an ongoing investigation, the reasons for the investigation
and the expected date of completion.
10. Whether or not a beach closure occurred or may have occurred as a result of the
SSO.
11. Whether or not health warnings were posted as a result of the SSO.
12. Name of beach(es) closed and/or impacted. If no beach was impacted, NA must
be selected.
13. Name of surface water(s) impacted.
14. If water quality samples were collected, identify parameters the water quality
samples were analyzed for. If no samples were taken, NA shall be selected.
15. If water quality samples were taken, identify which regulatory agencies received
sample results (if applicable). If no samples were taken, NA shall be selected.
16. Description of methodology(ies) and type of data relied upon for estimations of
the SSO volume discharged and recovered.
17. SSO Certification: Upon SSO Certific ation, the CIWQS Online SSO Database will
issue a final SSO identification (ID) number.
c. Draft Category 2 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall be
reported for a draft Category 2 SSO report:
1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO.
d. Certified Category 2 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 2 SSO report:
1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO and Items 1-9, and 17
in section 8.i.b above for Certified Category 1 SSO.
e. Certified Category 3 SSOs : At a minimum, the following mandatory information shall
be reported for a certified Category 3 SSO report:
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1. Items 1-14 in section 8.i.a above for Draft Category 1 SSO and Items 1-6, and 17
in section 8.i.b above for Certified Category 1 SSO.
ii. Reporting SSOs to Other Regulatory Agencies
These reporting requirements do not preclude an enrollee from reporting SSOs to other
regulatory agencies pursuant to State law. In addition, these reporting requirements do
not replace other Regional Water Board notification and reporting requirements for SSOs.
iii. Collection System Questionnaire
The required Collection System Questionnair e (Questionnaire) [see subsection G of the
SSS WDRs] provides the Water Boards with site-specific information related to the
enrollee’s sanitary sewer system. The enrollee shall complete and certify the
Questionnaire at least every 12 months to fa cilitate program implementation, compliance
assessment, and enforcement response.
iv. SSMP Availability
The enrollee shall provide information about the SSMP as follows the publicly available
in ternet website address to the CIWQS Online SSO Database where a downloadable
copy of the enrollee’s approved SSMP , critical supporting documents referenced in the
SSMP , and proof of local governing board approval of the SSMP is posted. If all of the
SSMP documentation listed in this subsection is not publicly available on the in ternet , the
enrollee shall comply with the following procedure :
a. Submit an electronic copy of the enrollee’s approved SSMP, critical supporting
documents referenced in the SSMP, and proof of local governing board approval of
the SSMP to the State Water Board, within 30 days of that approval and within 30
days of any subsequent SSMP re-certificati ons, to the following mailing address:
State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Water Quality
Attn: SSO Program Manager
1001 I Street, 15 th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
b. If all of the SSMP documentation listed in subsection C.8.iv.a. is publicly available on
the internet, links to these documents may be provided instead of the electronic
versions of the documents.
It is more likely that agencies will be submitting the actual electronic documents than
links, so the order of these options was changed to reflect this.
Also, the method for submitting an electroni c copy of the SSMP should be indicated –
is it through the CIWQS account? Is it to someone in particular? (if so please give an
email address).
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D. WATER QUALITY MONITORING REQUIREMENTS:
To comply with subsection D.7(v) of the SSS WDRs, the enrollee shall develop and
implement an SSO Water Quality Monitoring Program to assess impacts from SSOs to
surface waters in which 50,000 gallons or greater may have been spilled to surface waters.
The SSO Water Quality Monitoring Program, shall, at a minimum:
1. Require water quality analyses for nutrients ammonia and an appropriate bacterial indicator s
to be performed by an accredited or certified laboratory.
2. Require monitoring instruments and devices to implement the SSO Water Quality Monitoring
Program to be properly maintained and calibrated, including any records to document
maintenance and calibration, as necessary to ensure their continued accuracy.
3. Within 48 hours of initial notification from a complainant, informant, or through self -discover
(whichever is earliest)knowledge of the SSO, or as soon as practicable thereafter, conduct
r equire water quality sampling for ammonia and an appropriate bacteria indicator., at a
minimum, the following constituents:
i. Nutrients, including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and a mmonia ; and
ii. Bacterial indicators, including total and fecal coliform, enterococcus, and e -coli.
The revisions shown for constituents to be measured reflect the agreements reached with
Office of Enforcement staff on February 7, 2013. Nitrate, nitrite, and phosphorus are all low in
wastewater and will be diluted when in contact with a surface water. Ammonia is a simple test
to run and is a good indicator of the presence of wastewater. In addition, since bacteria
samples generally have a 6-hour holding time, and labs are not always open on the weekends,
especially with short notice, it’s important to recognize these practical limitations for the timing
of sample collection, so it’s very important to include the language “or as soon as practicable
thereafter”.
4. Allow for additional water quality monitoring should the Water Boards require it for SSO(s) of
any size.
4.5. Sampling will only be conducted if it is safe to do so.
If the overflow is occurring during wet weather conditions, or at a site that has difficult access,
it may not be safe to conduct sampling. In addition, bacteria sampling would require sterilized
bottles with sodium thiosulfate preservative directly immersed in the overflow, which may also
be a safety hazard for the samplers.
E. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS:
The following records shall be maintained by the enrollee for a minimum of five (5) years and
shall be made available for review by the Water Boards during an onsite inspection or through
an information request:
1. General Records: The enrollee shall maintain records to document compliance with all
provisions of the SSS WDRs and this MRP for each sanitary sewer system owned including
any required records generated by an enrollee’s sanitary sewer system contractor(s).
2. SSO Records: The enrollee shall maintain records for each SSO event, including but not
limited to:
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i. Photographic evidence showing the extent of Category 1 and Category 2 SSO events that
support spill volume estimates and whether the spill reached or did not reach surface
waters, a drainage channel tributary to a surface water or a municipal separate storm
sewer system . In a ddition, p hotographic evidence for Category 1 and Category 2 SSOs
shall be attached to the SSO report in the CIWQS Online SSO Database prior to
certification of the SSO report by the Legally Responsible Official. Photographic evidence
shall not be require d for any SSO event if circumstances beyond the reasonable control of
the enrollee or site conditions (e.g., safety, night conditions) prohibit photographs from
being obtained in the field. For situations where photographic evidence could not be
obtained, the enrollee must provide a certified statement in the SSO Online Database
regarding why photographic evidence could no t be obtained. Photographic evidence is
strongly recommended but not required for Category 3 SSO events. If photographic
evidence is no t maintained for Category 3 SSO events, the enrollee shall maintain
documentation to substantiate the extent of each Category 3 SSO event, that support spill
volume estimates , and support the conclusion that the SSO event did not reach surface
waters or th at it was fully recovered from a drainage channel tributary to a surface water
or from a municipal separate storm sewer system .
The associations feel strongly that photographs should not be required but instead be left
up to the discretion of the agency. There are many problems with requiring photographs.
One example is that many agencies only hav e one person stopping and cleaning up an
overflow, and stoppage of the overflow should be a higher priority than taking
photographs.
ii. Complaint records documenting how the enrollee responded to all notifications of possible
or actual SSOs, both during and after business hours, including complaints that do did not
result in SSOs. Each complaint record s hall, at a minimum, include the following
information:
a. Date, time, and method of notification.
b. Date and time the complainant or informant first noticed the SSO.
c. Narrative description of the complaint, including whether or not information provided
by the complainant or informant regarding the location and destination of the reporting
the potential SSO thinks the SSO has reached surface waters , drainage channels or
storm drains .
d. Name, address, and contact telephone number of the complainant or informant
reporting the potential SSO (if not reported anonymously), to the extent provided by
the complainant .
e. Follow-up return contact information for complainant or informant for each complaint
received (if not reported anonymously).
f. Final resolution of the complaint.
iii. Records documenting steps and/or remedial actions undertaken by enrollee, using all
available information, to comply with section D.7 of the SSS WDRs.
iv. Records documenting how all estimate(s) of volume(s) discharged and, if applicable,
volume(s) recovered were calculated.
The complainant is not in the best position to define the legal status of waters, drains, etc.
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It is inappropriate for agencies to be required to collect information from individuals which
most of the time will not know what the agency is talking about.
3. Records documenting all changes made to the SSMP since its last certification indicating
when a subsection(s) of the SSMP was ch anged and/or updated and who authorized the
change or update. These records shall be attached to the SSMP.
4. Electronic monitoring records relied upon for documenting SSO events and/or estimating the
SSO volume discharged, including, but not limited to records from:
i. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems;
ii. Alarm system(s); and
iii. Flow monitoring device(s) or other instrume nt(s) used to estimate wastewater levels, flow
rates and/or volumes.
F. CERTIFICATION
1. All information required to be reported into the CIWQS Online SSO Database shall be
certified by a person designated as described in subsection J of the SSS WDRs. This
designated person is also known as a legally re sponsible official (LRO). An enrollee may
have more than one LRO.
2. Any designated person (LRO) shall be registered with the State Water Board to certify reports
in accordance with the CIWQS protocols for reporting.
3. Data Submitter (DS): Any enrollee employee or contractor may enter draft data into the
CIWQS Online SSO Database on behalf of the enrollee if authorized by the LRO and
registered with the State Water Board. However, only LROs may certify reports in CIWQS.
4. The enrollee shall maintain continuous coverage by an LRO. Any change of a registered
LRO or DS (e.g., retired staff), including deac tivation or a change to the LRO’s or DS’s
contact information, shall be submitted by the enrollee to the State Water Board within 30
days of the change by calling (866) 792-4977 or emailing help@ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov .
5. A registered designated person (i.e., an LRO) shall certify all required reports under penalty of
perjury laws of the state as stated in the CIWQS Online SSO Database at the time of
certification.
CERTIFICATION
The undersigned Clerk to the Board does hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct
copy of an order amended by the Executive Director of the State Water Board.
______________________________________
Jeanine Townsend
Clerk to the Board