Oklahoma NPDES: What you need to know

Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OPDES) Act, 27A Oklahoma Statutes Annotated (OSA) 2-6-201 to 2-6-206

Oklahoma Water Quality Standards: Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 785:45-5-1 to 785:45-5-26

Adoption of the federal regulations: OAC 252:606-1-3

Applicability:

Exclusions: OAC 252:606-1-1

State waters: OAC 785:45-1-2

Water quality standards: OAC 785:45-5-25

Biosolids: OAC 252:606-8-1 to 252:606-8-7

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Water Quality Division Wastewater Permits Section

Oklahoma Water Resources Board (WRB)

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6

See ADDRESSES & CONTACTS for addresses and telephone numbers.

See national section for basic information and federal regulations.

• Rules. Oklahoma has received authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for state permits, federal sites, and pretreatment and biosolids programs. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has adopted the federal regulations as part of the state discharge regulations, referred to as the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OPDES) program.

The OPDES program differs from the federal rules in that there are state-specific general and biosolids permits, annual fees imposed, and the definition of "state waters" includes groundwater discharges.

• Administration and enforcement. DEQ’s Water Quality Division administers and enforces the OPDES program while the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (WRB) oversees water quality in Oklahoma. ...