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<br />Bulletin 160-98 Public Review Draft <br /> <br />OfJ3Q75 <br /> <br />Appendix 2A. Institutional Framework for Allocating <br />and Managing Water Resources in California <br /> <br />Water Quality Protection <br /> <br /> <br />Water quality is an important aspect of water resource management. The SWRCB plays a <br /> <br /> <br />central role in determining both water rights and regulating water quality, The Department of <br /> <br /> <br />Health Services has regulatory oversight over drinking water quality, a program administered in <br /> <br />coordination with county environmental health agencies, Discussed below are key state and <br /> <br /> <br />federal laws governing water quality. <br /> <br /> <br />Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act <br /> <br /> <br />This act is California's comprehensive water quality control law and is a complete <br /> <br /> <br />regulatory program designed to protect water quality and beneficial uses ofthe State's water. The <br /> <br />act requires the adoption of water quality control plans by the State's nine regional water quality <br /> <br />control boards for areas within their regions. These plans are subject to the approval of the <br /> <br />SWRCB, and ultimately the federal EPA, The plans are to be reviewed and updated. <br /> <br /> <br />The primary method of implementing the plans is to require each discharger of waste that <br /> <br />could impact the waters of the state to meet formal waste discharge requirements. Anyone <br /> <br />discharging waste or proposing to discharge waste into the state's water must file a "report of <br /> <br />waste discharge" with the regional water quality control board within whose jurisdiction the <br /> <br /> <br />discharge lies, Dischargers are subject to a wide variety of administrative, civil, and criminal <br /> <br /> <br />actions for failing to file a report. After the report is filed, the regional board may issue waste <br /> <br />discharge requirements that set conditions on the discharge. The waste discharge requirements <br /> <br />must be consistent with the water quality control plan for the body of water and protect the <br /> <br />beneficial uses of the receiving waters. The regional boards also implement Section 402 of the <br /> <br /> <br />federal Clean Water Act, which allows the state to issue a single discharge permit for the <br /> <br /> <br />purposes of both state and federal law. <br /> <br />Clean Water Act -- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System <br /> <br />Section 402 of the Clean Water Act established a permit system known as the National <br /> <br /> <br />Pollutant Discharge Elimination System to regulate point sources of discharges in navigable <br /> <br />waters of the United States. The EPA was given the authority to implement the NPDES, although <br /> <br /> <br />the act also authorizes states to implement the act in lieu of the EP A, provided the state has <br /> <br /> <br />sufficient authority. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />2A-13 <br />