NR 207.04(1)(d)1.c.c. Use of other applicable wastewater treatment process or operational changes. NR 207.04(1)(d)2.2. For proposals involving the expansion of a wastewater treatment plant, whether or not there are alternative wastewater treatment technologies which: NR 207.04(1)(d)2.b.b. Have capital costs less than 110% of the capital costs (or present worth less than 115% of the related total present worth value) for alternatives achieving the water quality based effluent limitations or the effluent limitations determined pursuant to chs. NR 200 to 297, as appropriate, and NR 207.04(1)(d)3.3. Whether or not there are other discharge locations or alternatives which would meet the conditions of subd. 2. b. and c. NR 207.04(1)(d)4.4. Any other information required by the department or believed by the applicant to be necessary to complete review of the application. NR 207.04 NoteNote: It is the intent of the department that, where possible, an applicant may use applicable information contained in a facility plan approved by the department to meet the requirements of s. NR 207.04 (1) (a) 1.a. to f.. NR 207.04(2)(a)(a) If the department determines that the existing wastewater treatment facilities have treatment capability to treat any proposed new or increased discharge and maintain treatment levels sufficient to meet existing effluent limitations as documented under sub. (1) (a), effluent limitations will remain unchanged. NR 207.04(2)(b)(b) If the department determines that the existing treatment facilities do not have treatment capability to treat any proposed new or increased discharge and maintain treatment levels sufficient to meet existing effluent limitations, effluent limitations will be developed using the following procedures: NR 207.04(2)(b)1.1. If the proposed new or increased discharge will not significantly lower water quality as determined under s. NR 207.05 (4) and will accommodate important economic and social development as documented under sub. (1) (c), water quality based effluent limitations will be determined based on applicable procedures and criteria in chs. NR 102, 103, 105 and 106 or on categorical effluent limitation procedures pursuant to chs. NR 200 to 297 as appropriate. NR 207.04(2)(b)2.2. If the proposed new or increased discharge will not significantly lower water quality as determined under s. NR 207.05 (4) and will not accommodate important economic and social development as documented under sub. (1) (c), water quality based effluent limitations for substances in the new or increased discharge will be set equal to the existing levels of these substances upstream of, or adjacent to, the discharge site. NR 207.04(2)(b)3.3. If the proposed new or increased discharge will significantly lower water quality as determined under s. NR 207.05 (4), or the applicant has chosen to waive the procedure in s. NR 207.05 (2) (a) to (d), and the proposed discharge will not accommodate important economic and social development as documented under sub. (1) (c), water quality based effluent limitations for substances in the new or increased discharge will be set equal to the existing levels of these substances upstream of, or adjacent to, the discharge site. NR 207.04(2)(b)4.4. If the proposed new or increased discharge will significantly lower water quality as determined under s. NR 207.05 (4), or the applicant has chosen to waive the procedure in s. NR 207.05 (2) (a) to (d), and the proposed discharge will accommodate important economic and social development as documented under sub. (1) (c), effluent limitations for the proposed new or increased discharge will be determined using the procedure in par. (c). NR 207.04 NoteNote: When assessing existing treatment capabilities, it is the intent of the department to consider projected increases in a permittee’s discharge due to a planned water conservation project.
NR 207.04(2)(c)(c) The department shall use the following procedures to determine water quality based effluent limitations or effluent limitations determined pursuant to chs. NR 200 to 297 as appropriate, for each substance in the proposed new or increased discharge for which the existing levels upstream of, or adjacent to, the discharge site are of better quality than applicable water quality criteria or secondary values derived according to ch. NR 102, 103 or 105: NR 207.04(2)(c)1.1. If there are no applicable pollution control alternatives or alternative discharge locations which meet the conditions of sub. (1) (d) 2. or 3., effluent limitations will be determined for the new or increased portion of the discharge based on applicable procedures and criteria or secondary values derived according to chs. NR 102, 103, 105 and 106 or based on effluent limitations pursuant to chs. NR 200 to 297, as appropriate. NR 207.04(2)(c)2.2. If there are applicable pollution control alternatives or alternative discharge locations which meet the conditions of sub. (1) (d) 2. or 3., water quality based effluent limitations will be determined for the new or increased portion of the discharge based on the applicable pollution control alternative or alternative discharge site which prevents the significant lowering of water quality. NR 207.04(2)(c)3.3. For an increased discharge not involving expansion of a wastewater treatment plant: NR 207.04(2)(c)3.a.a. If there are no demonstrated, cost effective pollution control alternatives which would prevent significant lowering of water quality as demonstrated under sub. (1) (d) 1., effluent limitations shall be determined pursuant to chs. NR 102 and 106 or chs. NR 200 to 297, as appropriate. NR 207.04(2)(c)3.b.b. If there are demonstrated, cost effective pollution control alternatives which would prevent the significant lowering of water quality as demonstrated under sub. (1) (d) 1., water quality based effluent limitations will be determined for the new or increased portion of the discharge based on the cost effective pollution control alternative which prevents the significant lowering of water quality. NR 207.04(2)(d)(d) The department shall determine water quality based effluent limitations using the water quality criteria or secondary values derived according to ch. NR 102, 103, 104 or 105 for substances in the proposed new or increased discharge whose levels in the receiving water are of lesser quality than the water quality criteria or secondary values for the receiving water upstream of, or adjacent to, the discharge site. NR 207.04(2)(e)(e) In addition to the provisions of pars. (a) to (c), if the department determines that a proposed new or increased discharge will result in lowering of water quality in downstream outstanding resource waters or a proposed new discharge would result in lowering of water quality in exceptional resource waters, other than for the reasons specified in s. NR 207.03 (2) (a), water quality based effluent limitations for substances in the new or increased portion of the discharge will be set to prevent the lowering of water quality in the downstream outstanding or exceptional resource water. Whenever s. NR 207.03 (2) (a) applies, effluent limitations shall be established using the procedures in this section. NR 207.04 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, February, 1989, No. 398, eff. 3-1-89; renum. (1) (a) 1. a. to d. to be (1) (a) 1. b. and d. to f., cr. (1) (a) 1. a., c. and (d) 1. e., am. (2) (c) (intro.), 1. and (d), Register, August, 1997, No. 500, eff. 9-1-97. NR 207.05NR 207.05 Determining significant lowering of water quality. NR 207.05(1)(1) Indicator parameters. For each proposed new or increased discharge the department shall determine a list of water quality parameters for which the significant lowering of water quality test will be applied. The list shall consist of: NR 207.05(1)(a)(a) Biochemical oxygen demand/dissolved oxygen, ammonia-nitrogen, and copper; or NR 207.05(1)(b)(b) Some other list of substances for which water quality criteria or secondary values have been determined according to chs. NR 102 to 105, not to exceed 10 parameters, which is determined to be representative of the discharge. NR 207.05(2)(2) Application information. Persons proposing a new or increased discharge shall use the following procedure to demonstrate to the department whether the discharge will result in a significant lowering of water quality: NR 207.05(2)(a)(a) Determine the expected levels of the indicator parameters in the discharge. NR 207.05(2)(b)(b) Determine existing levels of the indicator parameters upstream of, or adjacent to, the discharge site using applicable procedures in chs. NR 102 and 106 or specified by the department if none of those procedures apply. Existing levels shall be based on the earliest source of data after March 1, 1989 unless a demonstration is made that there has been a change in existing levels resulting in a change in the assimilative capacity of the receiving water, in which case the existing levels shall be based on the data used in the demonstration. NR 207.05(2)(c)(c) Calculate expected levels in the receiving water of the indicator parameters as a result of the proposed new or increased discharge. In calculating expected levels in the receiving water, the following shall be used: NR 207.05(2)(c)1.1. Applicable design low flow rates or dilution ratios for the receiving water in ch. NR 102 or 106 or specified by the department if none of those rates or ratios apply. NR 207.05(2)(c)2.2. The daily average discharge loading rates for the new or increased portion of a municipal discharge or the yearly average discharge loading rates for the new or increased portion of an industrial discharge. NR 207.05(2)(d)(d) Compare the expected levels in the receiving water of each indicator parameter as calculated in par. (c) to: NR 207.05(2)(d)1.1. The assimilative capacity multiplied by one-third for all indicator parameters except dissolved oxygen; or NR 207.05(2)(d)2.2. The sum of the existing level multiplied by two-thirds and the water quality criterion multiplied by one-third for dissolved oxygen. NR 207.05(3)(3) Procedure waiver. Persons proposing a new or increased discharge may choose to waive the procedure in sub. (2), and proceed directly to the economic and social development test in s. NR 207.04 (1) (c). NR 207.05(4)(4) Department determinations. The department shall determine that a proposed new or increased discharge will result in a significant lowering of water quality if either: NR 207.05(4)(a)(a) The proposed new or increased discharge, along with all other new or increased discharges after March 1, 1989, taking into account any changes in assimilative capacity over time that have been demonstrated under sub. (2) (b), results in an expected level of an indicator parameter in the receiving water of either of the following: NR 207.05(4)(a)1.1. Greater than one-third multiplied by the assimilative capacity for any indicator parameter other than dissolved oxygen; or NR 207.05(4)(a)2.2. Greater than the sum of the existing level multiplied by two-thirds and the water quality criterion multiplied by one-third for dissolved oxygen. NR 207.05(4)(b)(b) For a discharge to the Great Lakes system, the mass loading to the receiving water of any substance in the proposed new or increased discharge having a bioaccumulation factor greater than 1000 would be increased. NR 207.05 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, February, 1989, No. 398, eff. 3-1-89; am. (1) (b) and (4) (b), Register, August, 1997, No. 500, eff. 9-1-97. NR 207.10NR 207.10 Purpose and applicability. NR 207.10(1)(1) Purpose. The purpose of this subchapter is to establish antibacksliding requirements for the WPDES permit program. NR 207.10(2)(2) Applicability. This subchapter applies to any permittee that requests in a WPDES permit modification or reissuance application an increased or less stringent limitation that limits the discharge of a pollutant to a surface water. This subchapter does not apply to a request for an increased limitation that limits the discharge of a pollutant to groundwater. This subchapter is not applicable when the department increases a limitation that has not yet taken effect in a WPDES permit. NR 207.10 HistoryHistory: CR 17-002: cr. Register April 2018 No. 748, eff. 5-1-18. NR 207.11NR 207.11 Definitions. In addition to the definitions in ch. NR 205, the following definitions apply to this subchapter: NR 207.11(1)(1) “Best professional judgment limitation” means technology based effluent limitations established on a case-by-case basis by the permit drafter when there are no applicable promulgated effluent guidelines for the category of discharge. These limitations are established under s. NR 220.21 and 33 USC 1342(a)(1)B. NR 207.11(2)(2) “Effluent limitation guidelines” or “effluent guideline standard” or “ELGs” means guidelines for establishing technology based effluent limitations under 33 USC 1313(b) including, but not limited to, guidelines for best practicable control technology currently achievable, best conventional pollutant control technology, best available technology economically achievable, and new source performance standards. NR 207.11(4)(4) “State technology based treatment standard” means a technology based treatment standard promulgated by the state that is not an ELG. NR 207.11 NoteNote: The department’s state statutory authority for establishing technology based guidelines and standards is found in ss. 283.11, 283.13, 283.19, and 283.21, Stats. An example of a state treatment technology based standard is a standard promulgated under s. 283.11 (3) or (4), Stats. NR 207.11 HistoryHistory: CR 17-002: cr. Register April 2018 No. 748, eff. 5-1-18; correction in (1) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register October 2018 No. 754. NR 207.12(1)(1) General. Except as provided in this section, effluent limitations or standards in a reissued, revoked and reissued, or modified permit shall be at least as stringent as the effective effluent limitations or standards in the previous permit. If one of the exceptions in subs. (2) to (4) is satisfied to relax or backslide a limitation, the limitation may only be made less stringent if both of the following apply: NR 207.12(1)(a)(a) The less stringent limitation is at least as stringent as required by the effluent limitation guideline in effect at the time the permit is reissued, revoked and reissued, or modified. NR 207.12(1)(b)(b) The less stringent limitation complies with state water quality standards, including the antidegradation requirements in subch. I. NR 207.12 NoteNote: The requirements in sub. (1) is commonly referred to as the “safety clause” provision of the antibacksliding requirements in the Clean Water Act, and these requirements apply to any relaxation of any limitation. See 33 USC 1342(o)(3). NR 207.12(2)(2) Relaxing a best professional judgment limitation. Best professional judgment limitations established under s. NR 220.21 (1) that have taken effect in a permit may be made less stringent in a reissued, revoked and reissued, or modified permit if the requirements of sub. (1) (a) and (b) are satisfied and one or more of the following apply: NR 207.12(2)(a)(a) Material and substantial alterations or additions to the permitted facility occurred after the best professional judgment limitation was initially imposed in the permit, which justify the application of a less stringent effluent limitation, NR 207.12(2)(b)(b) New information is available that was not available at the time of permit issuance and that would have justified the application of a less stringent effluent limitation at the time of permit issuance. New information under this paragraph does not include revised regulations, guidance, or test methods. NR 207.12(2)(c)(c) The department determines that technical mistakes or mistaken interpretations of law were made when the best professional judgment limitation was initially imposed in the permit. NR 207.12(2)(d)(d) A less stringent effluent limitation is necessary because of events over which the permittee has no control and for which there is no reasonably available remedy. NR 207.12(2)(e)(e) The permittee has received department approval for any of the following: NR 207.12(2)(f)(f) The permittee has installed the treatment facilities required to meet the effluent limitations in the previous permit and has properly operated and maintained the facilities, but has nevertheless been unable to achieve the best professional judgment limitations. In such a case, the effluent limitation in the reissued, revoked and reissued, or modified permit may be relaxed to reflect the level of pollutant control actually achieved. However, in no case may the limitation be less stringent than applicable effluent guidelines in effect at the time of reissuance or modification. NR 207.12 NoteNote: Subsection (2) is based on the requirement in 33 USC 1342(o)(1). NR 207.12(3)(3) Relaxing a water quality based limitation or a limitation based on a state technology based treatment standard. NR 207.12(3)(a)(a) General. Any effective water quality based effluent limitations, including those based upon a total maximum daily load or other wasteload allocation, or a limitation based on a state technology based treatment standard may be relaxed in a reissued, revoked and reissued, or modified permit if the requirements of sub. (1) (a) and (b) are met and, for an increased water quality based effluent limitation, one of the following requirements is satisfied: NR 207.12(3)(a)1.1. ‘Impaired waters and TMDL based limitations.’ For discharges of a pollutant to a receiving water or downstream water that is listed as an impaired water for the pollutant, any water quality based effluent limitation that is based upon a federally approved total maximum daily load for the pollutant may be made less stringent, provided at least one of the following applies: NR 207.12(3)(a)1.a.a. Other wasteload allocated limitations for one or more dischargers to the impaired receiving water or downstream water are also adjusted so, cumulatively, the total maximum daily load allocations will still assure the attainment of water quality standards. NR 207.12(3)(a)1.b.b. The designated use that is not being attained has been removed or revised in accordance with state regulatory procedures and approved by the EPA. NR 207.12(3)(a)2.2. ‘Impaired water and no federally approved TMDL developed.’ For discharges of a pollutant to a receiving water or downstream water that is listed as an impaired water for the pollutant but where a total maximum daily load has not yet been developed and approved by EPA for the pollutant, a water quality based effluent limitation for the pollutant may be made less stringent, provided at least one of the following applies: NR 207.12(3)(a)2.a.a. The discharger can demonstrate that the increase in loading will be offset through a water quality trade or other means with another discharge of the same pollutant to the impaired water. The offset must be approved by the department and must be implemented prior to discharge. NR 207.12(3)(a)2.b.b. The designated use that is not being attained has been removed or revised in accordance with state regulatory procedures and approved by the EPA, and the resulting less stringent limit would be subject to this paragraph. NR 207.12(3)(a)3.3. ‘Other waters that attain the water quality standard.’ For discharges of a pollutant to a surface water where neither the immediate receiving water or downstream water is an impaired water for the pollutant, any water quality based effluent limit, including a limitation based upon a total maximum daily load or other wasteload allocation, may be made less stringent provided water quality standards, including designated uses and antidegradation, are met. NR 207.12 NoteNote: The requirements in sub. (3) (a) 1. and 3. are based on the provisions of 33 USC 1313(d)(4) and still require compliance with sub. (1), which requires antidegradation requirements be satisfied. An example of the allowance for backsliding under this subdivision is a situation where the initial water quality based effluent limit was based on protection of a receiving water or a downstream water that did not meet the applicable water quality standard and the previously impaired water has now met or exceeded the water quality standard.
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