- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits
- Federal Pretreatment Permits
- Application Forms
- General Permits for Discharges from Petroleum Related Remediation Activities
- Regulations, Policies and Procedures
- Contacts
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits
All municipal, industrial and commercial facilities that discharge wastewater directly from a point source (such as a pipe, ditch or channel) into a receiving waterbody (lake, river, or ocean) are issued an NPDES permit. Facilities that discharge to a wastewater treatment facility, which in turn discharges into the receiving waterbody, are not subject to NPDES permits; rather they are controlled by the national pretreatment program. The state of Vermont has assumed the NPDES program from the federal government and issues permits through the Wastewater Management Program.
Federal Pretreatment Permit
The Wastewater Management Program's Pretreatment Section issues permits under the Federal Pretreatment Permit program for certain industrial and commercial discharges to municipal wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) which may interfere with the operation of municipal treatment facilities. The Wastewater Program requires the owner of a business or facility that generates and discharges or hauls process wastewater to a VT municipal WWTF to request a Pretreatment Permit determination prior to:
- Discharging or hauling any process or industrial wastewater to a VT municipal WWTF;
- Increasing the volume, pollutant loading, or changing the wastewater characteristics of an existing process wastewater discharge to a VT municipal WWTF.
Use the Pretreatment Permit Determination Form to submit a request for a Pretreatment Permit determination. The Pretreatment Section will review the information submitted via this form to determine if the business or facility requires a state Pretreatment Permit to connect and/or discharge to the POTW.
Those issued a pretreatment discharge permit may submit monthly reports through ANR Online.
Additional Pretreatment Resources:
- Pretreatment Stakeholder Meeting Summary and Follow-up Survey
- Pretreatment Stakeholder Meeting Presentation; September 13, 2019
- Pretreatment Stakeholder Survey Results
- Draft Pretreatment Program Compliance Strategy
- Request for Stakeholder Feedback on the Pretreatment Program Compliance Strategy
NPDES and Pretreatment Permit Application Forms
**IMPORTANT Notice - As of January 1, 2018, certain types of permits, certifications and registrations are required to be noticed publicly on the new Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB) and must follow new procedural rules under Act 150 (10 V.S.A. Chapter 170), a law that standardized and consolidated DEC public notice and comment processes.** Click here to view the new Environmental Notice Bulletin
NPDES and Pretreatment permit applications use the same form. Click here for some helpful application information
Applicants must submit a WR-82 Application form and either a Schedule A form or a Schedule B form
- Permit Application Form WR-82 10 V.S.A. Chapter 47 in PDF
- Permit Adjoiner Notification Template (Letter)
- Instructions Only: Schedule B: Industrial/Commercial/Institutional Form WR-82B in PDF
- Instructions Only: Schedule B: Industrial/Commercial/Institutional Form WR-82B in MS Word
- Schedule E: Emergency Pollution Permit WR-82E in PDF
- Schedule E: Emergency Pollution Permit WR-82E in MS Word
- Direct Discharge Termination Request Form
- Wastewater Fee Schedule (for Discharge Permits and Pretreatment Discharge Permits)
General Permits for Discharges from Petroleum Related Remediation Activities
The Wastewater Management Program issues two types of general permits for discharges from petroleum related remediation activities:
- General Permit 3-9004 for direct discharges to surface waters from petroleum related remediation activities and;
- General Permit 3-9016 for discharges from petroleum related remediation activities into municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
Applicants who need coverage under either general permit must apply on a special Notice of Intent (NOI) application and must satisfy a 14-day public comment requirement. The fee associated with either general permit is $240.00 per application.
General Permit 3-9004 (direct discharges) - renewed October 1, 2022; expires September 30, 2027.
- Instructions for Applicant
- Fact Sheet for General Permit 3-9004
- Question & Answer Sheet (Gen Permit 3-9004)
- Download a Notice of Intent to apply for coverage under permit 3-9004 (Updated October 2023)
- Direct Discharge Termination Request Form
- Monitoring Report Form WR-43-3-9004
General Permit 3-9016 (discharges to a WWTF) - effective July 1, 2024; expires June 30, 2029.
- Instructions for Applicant
- Fact Sheet for General Permit 3-9016
- Question & Answer Sheet (Gen Permit 3-9016)
- Download a Notice of Intent to apply for coverage under permit 3-9016
- Monitoring Report Form WR-43-3-9016
Application for Termination of Coverage - used to apply for termination of coverage under either general permit.
Current List of Authorizations to Discharge under General Permits 3-9004 and 3-9016
Submit* completed report forms with original signatures to:
Business and Operational Support Services Program
Watershed Management Division
1 National Life Drive, Davis 3
Montpelier VT 05620-3522
* Note: e-mail submissions can not be accepted at this time - original signatures are required.
Regulations, Policies and Procedures
- Water Pollution Control Permit Regulations, Chapter 13 - Feb 1974
- Amendment to Water Pollution Control Permit Regulations, Chapter 13.12 - October 1991
- Vermont Combined Sewer Overflow Control Rule - September 2016
- Procedure for Determining Significant Non-Compliance for the Vermont WPC Permit Program
- Guidance for Annual Constituent Monitoring
Contacts
Please visit our contact page.