Discharge Monitoring Reporting
NPDES Requirements
DEQ issues National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits to wastewater dischargers in order to monitor and regulate levels of pollutants discharged from their facilities. The NPDES permits require the permittees to meet specific discharge quantities (effluent limits) for each pollutant discharged by the facility. Maintaining compliance with the permit by keeping the discharged pollutants within the effluent limits is crucial to achieving water quality protection. The NPDES program relies heavily on self-monitoring and self-reporting by the permittee to determine compliance with effluent limits. Monitoring results are reported on a routine basis to DEQ on Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) forms. The submission of timely, complete, and accurate DMRs is vital to ensuring compliance. Failure of a facility to submit a properly completed and signed DMR within the time period specified by the permit is a violation of the NPDES permit.
Signatory Requirements for the Water Office
Permittees are required to provide DEQ with the names of authorized persons able to sign permits or agency reports. If several people are designated for an agency, each designated signer must complete an authorization form and submit it to DEQ. This form is also used to remove and change names.
Change in Signatory Authorization Form
Whose signature is authorized?
Names are required in the authorization form for operations and for ownership. The same name may be submitted for both requirements.
DEQ requires the name of a cognizant official, authorized by the ranking official, as having responsibility for the overall operations or the environmental matters of the regulated facility or activity. This person can sign permit required reports, including DMRs.
DEQ requires the name of a responsible official to sign the permit application, typically a corporate official, general partner/proprietor, or ranking elected official. This person will also be considered the cognizant official if the facility does not provide additional certified names.
Signatory for paperless submittals – NetDMR
Beginning December 21, 2016, Arkansas NPDES permittees are required to submit discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) electronically using the web-based tool NetDMR. Learn more about NetDMR and how to establish a signatory using the subscriber agreement under Trained? Next Request an Account.
Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs)
Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) forms are provided by DEQ for reporting monitoring results required by the NPDES permit for discharge. These forms are generated directly from the limits and monitoring requirements in the permit. They are generated (1) after the original issuance of a new permit, (2) after final reissuance of an existing permit, (3) after modification of a permit that changes the monitoring requirements or permittee/facility name or address, or (4) when the person authorized to sign the DMR changes. If the permittee is not using NetDMR, forms are mailed to the facility mailing address or email address specified on the permit application. Enforcement Analysts can supply replacement forms.
NPDES Electronic Filing Through NetDMR
Beginning December 21, 2016, Arkansas NPDES permittees are required to submit discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) electronically using the web-based tool NetDMR. Permittees can complete reports that are specific to their permit limits and transfer them to the EPA through a secure internet application.
- Learn about NetDMR training classes.
- Learn how to register and begin using NetDMR through self-learning modules.
No-Discharge Requirements
DEQ’s State No-Discharge permits are issued to facilities that treat wastewater but do not have a point-source discharge to the waters of the state, such as drip irrigation treatment systems. These facilities must submit monitoring results on the Monthly Monitoring Report (MMR).