New Hampshire NPDES: What you need to know

New Hampshire National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits: New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 485-A:13

New Hampshire surface water discharge permits: New Hampshire Regulations (NH Regs.) Environmental-Water Quality (Env-Wq) 301.01 to 301.18

Permit transfers: NH Regs. Env-Wq 301.11 and NH Regs. Env-Wq 301.12

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) Water Division Wastewater Engineering Bureau

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1

See ADDRESSES & CONTACTS for addresses and telephone numbers.

See national section for basic information and federal regulations.

• Rules. New Hampshire does not have authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program for wastewater discharges. The EPA issues specific NPDES permits in the state. However, before the EPA can issue the permit, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) must certify that the limitations and conditions contained in the permit will ensure that the proposed discharge will not violate any state requirements. When the EPA issues a final NPDES individual permit or grants a discharger coverage under a general permit, the state adopts it as a state surface water discharge permit pursuant to RSA 485-A:13. The DES compliance section staff then share the inspection and enforcement responsibilities with the EPA.

• Administration and enforcement. EPA's Region 1 office administers and enforces the federal NPDES permitting program in New Hampshire. DES's Water Division administers the state wastewater permits.