Major Municipal Discharge
A major municipal facility is one owned by a municipality or regional sewer district with a design flow of 1 million gallons per day or greater. Municipal wastewater treatment facilities must obtain an NPDES permit before they can legally discharge treated wastewater.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
Application Process |
New Permit or Renewal: |
- DEQ Form 1
- EPA Form 2A
- DEQ Priority Pollutant Scan (PPS) Form
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New: To obtain a municipal NPDES permit, file an application package with DEQ's Water Office. New facilities must submit the package at least 180 days before the expected date of the first wastewater discharge.
Renewal: Existing facilities must submit their application package at least 180 days before the expiration date of the existing NPDES permit. |
Modification: |
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Submit only as needed:
- DEQ Priority Pollutant Scan (PPS) Form
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Minor Municipal Discharge
A minor municipal facility is one owned by a municipality with a design flow of less than 1 million gallons per day. Municipal wastewater treatment facilities must obtain an NPDES permit before they can legally discharge treated wastewater.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
Application Process |
New Permit or Renewal: |
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New: To obtain a municipal NPDES permit, file an application package with DEQ's Water Office. New facilities must submit the package at least 180 days before the expected date of the first wastewater discharge.
Renewal: Existing facilities must submit their application package at least 180 days before the expiration date of the existing NPDES permit. |
Modification: |
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Industrial Discharge Permit for EXISTING Facilities Applying to Discharge Process Wastewater
Any facility that is not owned by a municipality or regional sewer district is classified as an industrial facility. Industrial permits cover the discharge of process wastewater, and sanitary, or domestic, wastewater that is not discharged to a municipal treatment facility.
An “existing facility” is a facility that is already in operation, and is producing process wastewater. “Process wastewater” means any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes into direct contact with or results from the production or use of any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, byproduct, or waste product.
Specific categories of facilities may seek coverage through a streamlined general permit process. See the general industrial (non-stormwater) permits rules, activities they regulate, and permitting forms and information.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
As Needed Documents |
New Permit or Renewal: |
- DEQ Form 1
- EPA Form 2C
- DEQ Priority Pollutant Scan (PPS) Form
- Disclosure Statement
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Submit only if stormwater is mixed with process water:
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Industrial Discharge Permit for NEW Facilities Applying to Discharge Process Wastewater
Any facility that is not owned by a municipality or regional sewer district is classified as an industrial facility. Industrial permits cover the discharge of process wastewater, and sanitary, or domestic, wastewater that is not discharged to a municipal treatment facility.
A “new facility” is a facility that is not yet in operation, and is not producing process wastewater. “Process wastewater” means any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes into direct contact with or results from the production or use of any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, byproduct, or waste product.
Specific categories of facilities may seek coverage through a streamlined general permit process. See the general industrial (non-stormwater) permits rules, activities they regulate, and permitting forms and information.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
As Needed Documents |
New Permit or Renewal: |
- DEQ Form 1
- EPA Form 2D
- DEQ Priority Pollutant Scan (PPS) Form
- Disclosure Statement
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Submit only if stormwater is mixed with process water:
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Industrial Discharge Permit for Facilities that do NOT Discharge Process Wastewater (NEW or EXISTING)
Any facility that is not owned by a municipality or regional sewer district is classified as an industrial facility. Industrial permits cover the discharge of process wastewater, and sanitary, or domestic, wastewater that is not discharged to a municipal treatment facility.
“Facilities that do NOT Discharge Process Wastewater” include, but are not limited to, facilities that are operated by: businesses that are manufacturers, but have only a sanitary wastewater discharge; businesses that discharge sanitary and food-preparation wastewater; schools; and nonmunicipal domestic sewage treatment works (subdivisions, apartments, etc.).
“Process wastewater” means any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes into direct contact with or results from the production or use of any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, byproduct, or waste product.
Specific categories of facilities may seek coverage through a streamlined general permit process. See the general industrial (non-stormwater) permits rules, activities they regulate, and permitting forms and information.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
As Needed Documents |
New Permit or Renewal: |
- DEQ Form 1
- EPA Form 2E
- Disclosure Statement
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Submit only for a nonmunicipal domestic sewage treatment works (NDSTW) facility:
- NDSTW Trust Fund Certification Form
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Modification: |
- DEQ Form 1
- Disclosure Statement
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Submit only for a nonmunicipal domestic sewage treatment works (NDSTW) facility:
- NDSTW Trust Fund Certification Form
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Construction of a Wastewater Treatment Facility
Permits are required for the construction of any municipal and industrial treatment and collection facilities that discharge treated wastewater to a waterbody. Wastewater treatment construction permits are also required for small on-site wastewater disposal systems that commonly serve developments or small areas in the treatment of domestic wastewater. The NPDES Section of DEQ's Water Office issues state wastewater treatment construction permits under authority of Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Regulation No. 6, Section 6.202.
Permits are required for the construction of any municipal and industrial treatment and collection facilities that discharge DEQ does not require the use or installation of particular technologies. Rather, the Clean Water Act requires operators to meet certain performance standards that are based on the proper operation of pollution prevention and treatment technologies identified by EPA . For more information, visit Treatment Technologies.
Permits are required for the construction of any municipal and industrial treatment and collection facilities that discharge All wastewater treatment systems must be designed based on the latest edition of "Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities" by the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers. This design manual is commonly referred to as “The 10 States Standards” and is updated periodically by a board including 10 Midwestern states and the province of Ontario.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
As Needed Documents |
New Permit: |
- DEQ Form 1
- DEQ Construction Permit Application Form – parts 1-12
- Design Calculations
- Plans and Specifications signed and stamped by a professional engineer registered in Arkansas
- Disclosure Statement
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For Sanitary Wastewater ONLY:
- Arkansas Department of Health Approval Letter
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Completion of Construction: |
- Notice of Completion of Construction for State Construction Permits
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Individual Stormwater Permit
While many facilities seek coverage through general stormwater permits, some comply with regulations through an individual NPDES stormwater permit that reflects the facility's unique permit conditions and limits.
Individual NPDES Permit Type |
Required Documents |
As Needed Documents |
New Permit, Renewal, or Modification: |
- DEQ Form 1
- EPA Form 2D
- DEQ Priority Pollutant Scan (PPS) Form
- Disclosure Statement
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Submit only if stormwater is mixed with process water:
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