California Code of Regulations
Title 23 - Waters
Division 4 - Regional Water Quality Control Boards
Chapter 1 - Water Quality Control Plans, Policies, and Guidelines
Article 5 - Central Valley Region
Section 3949.11 - Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plans for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins and for the Tulare Lake Basin to Add Policies for Variances from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers, Variance Program for Salinity, and Exception from Implementation of Water Quality Objectives for Salinity
The amendments are to both Central Valley Basin Plans to add policies for variances from surface water quality standards for point source dischargers, a multiple discharger variance program for salinity, and an exception from implementation of water quality objectives for salinity. The Variance Policy allows the Central Valley Water Board the authority to grant short-term variances from meeting water quality based effluent limitations to dischargers subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The Variance Policy applies to non-priority pollutants. The Salinity Variance Program is a multiple discharger variance that allows the Central Valley Water Board the authority to grant variances from meeting water quality based effluent limitations for salinity constituents (electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate and sodium) to publicly owned treatment works in NPDES permits. The Salinity Exception Program establishes procedures for dischargers that are subject to waste discharge requirements and conditional waivers to obtain a short-term exception from meeting effluent or groundwater limitations for salinity constituents (electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate and sodium).
1. New section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 6-19-2015; amendments approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2015-0010 on 3-17-2015; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 on 6-19-2015 (Register 2015, No. 25).
