Guidance for Conducting Reapplication Sampling for Facilities Discharging Non-Process Wastewater
This guidance document is advisory in nature but is binding on an agency until amended by such agency. A guidance document does not include internal procedural documents that only affect the internal operations of the agency and does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties or include confidential information or rules and regulations made in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. If you believe that this guidance document imposes additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties, you may request a review of the document.

Form #: 18-003 Guidance Documents Revised: 3/1/22


Except for stormwater discharges, all manufacturing, commercial, mining and silvicultural dischargers applying for NPDES permits which directly discharge only non-process wastewater not regulated by an effluent limitations guideline or new source performance standard shall provide the information in Section A and B to the Department once per permit term. The applicant need not submit data for parameters which he has already monitored and reported under the discharge monitoring requirements of their NPDES permit.

A. Required Sampling and Analysis for Permit Renewal

Quantitative data for the pollutants or parameters listed below is required, unless testing is waived by the Director. The quantitative data may be data collected over the past 365 days, if they remain representative of current operations, and must include maximum daily value, average daily value, and number of measurements taken. The applicant must collect and analyze samples in accordance with 40 CFR Part 136. When analysis of pH, temperature, residual chlorine, oil and grease, or fecal coliform (including E. coli ), and Enterococci (previously known as fecal streptococcus) and volatile organics is required, grab samples must be collected for those pollutants. For all other pollutants, a 24-hour composite sample, using a minimum of four (4) grab samples, must be used unless specified otherwise at 40 CFR Part 136. For a composite sample, only one analysis of the composite of aliquots is required. New discharges must include estimates for the pollutants or parameters listed below instead of actual sampling data, along with the source of each estimate. All levels must be reported or estimated as concentration and as total mass, except for flow, pH, and temperature.
  1. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) [00310].
  2. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) [00530].
  3. Fecal Coliform (if believed present or if sanitary waste is or will be discharged) [31615 or 31648].
  4. Total Residual Chlorine (if chlorine is used) [50060].
  5. Oil and Grease [00552].
  6. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) (if non-contact cooling water is or will be discharged) [81017].
  7. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) (if non-contact cooling water is or will be discharged) [00680].
  8. Ammonia (as N) [00610].
  9. Discharge Flow [50050].
  10. pH [00400].
  11. Temperature (Winter and Summer) [00011].

The Director may waive the testing and reporting requirements for any of the pollutants or flow listed above if the applicant submits a request for such a waiver before or with his application which demonstrates that information adequate to support issuance of a permit can be obtained through less stringent requirements.

B. New Discharges

If the outfall is a new discharge, the applicant must complete and submit quantitative data for the above parameters no later than two years after commencement of discharge. However, the applicant need not submit data for parameters which he has already monitored and reported under the discharge monitoring requirements of his NPDES permit.

Produced by: Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, P.O. Box 98922, Lincoln, NE 68509-8922; phone (402) 471-2186. To view this, and other information related to our agency, visit our web site at http://dee.ne.gov.