Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 200-299 - Environmental Protection - Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Chapter NR 217 - Effluent Standards And Limitations For Phosphorus
Subchapter III - Waterbody Assessments and Reporting
Section NR 217.15 - Determination of necessity for water quality based effluent limitations for phosphorus

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code § NR 217.15

Current through August 26, 2024

(1)

(a) General. The department shall include a water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus in a permit whenever the discharge or discharges from a point source or point sources contain phosphorus at concentrations or loadings which will cause, has the reasonable potential to cause or contribute to, an exceedance of the water quality standards in s. NR 102.06 in either the receiving water or downstream waters. The department shall use the procedures in this section to make this determination.

(b) Permittees with existing phosphorus limitations. If a permittee has a technology based phosphorus limitation in a permit that is less restrictive than a water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus calculated pursuant to s. NR 217.13, then the department shall include the water quality based effluent limitation in the permit.

(c) Permittees without existing phosphorus limitations. If a permittee discharges phosphorus, but does not have a technology based limitation for phosphorus in its permit, the department shall use the procedures in this paragraph to determine whether a discharge will cause, has the reasonable potential to cause or contribute to an exceedance of the phosphorus water quality criterion in s. NR 102.06 in the receiving or downstream waters, and whether to include a water quality based effluent limit for phosphorus in the WPDES permit.

1. Using at least 11 daily discharge concentrations of phosphorus, if the upper 99th percentile of the 30 day average discharge concentration of phosphorus exceeds the potential phosphorus limitation calculated under s. NR 217.13, then the water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus shall be included in the WPDES permit. If the upper 99th percentile of the 30 day average discharge concentration of phosphorus is less than the potential phosphorus limitation calculated under s. NR 217.13, then a water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus is not required in the WPDES permit. The upper 99th percentile of available discharge concentrations shall be calculated pursuant to s. NR 106.05(5).

2. If 11 daily discharge concentrations of phosphorus are not available for a permittee, then a water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus shall be included in the permit when the mean of available effluent concentrations is greater than one-fifth of the limit.

3. If no phosphorus effluent data is available for an existing permittee, the department may require phosphorus sampling as part of a permit application for reissuance to determine whether a water quality based effluent limit is necessary in the WPDES permit under par. (a), or the department may use effluent data information from similar point sources to make the determination under par. (a).

Note: The department will develop guidance regarding the administration of this section to ensure that permitted discharges with a reasonable potential to cause or contribute to exceedances of the applicable phosphorus water quality criterion in s. NR 102.06 are identified.

(d) Sampling. Prior to permit reissuance, a permittee discharging any phosphorus shall collect effluent samples of phosphorus at a frequency specified by the department in the permit application for reissuance.

(e) New dischargers. The department shall include a water quality based phosphorus limitation in a permit for a new discharger if the department determines the new discharger will discharge phosphorus at concentrations or loadings which may cause or contribute to exceedances of the water quality criteria in s. NR 102.06 in either the receiving water or downstream waters. To estimate the amount of phosphorus discharged by a new discharger, the department may consider projected discharge information from the permit applicant and phosphorus discharge information from similar sources.

(2) If the department determines a water quality based effluent limitation is not necessary in a permit based on the procedures in this section, the department may still require monitoring for phosphorus discharges.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.