Municipal Permitting

Overview

Municipal Permitting reviews and issues National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for municipal wastewater facilities; administers the Pretreatment program; handles Collection Systems that transport untreated wastewater; and performs modeling and speculative limits reviews.

For information about wastewater permit applications, fees, the permitting process, and other guidance, go to the NPDES Wastewater page.

For sewer permitting, including fast-track sewer extension permitting, go to our Collection Systems page.

NPDES wastewater

All wastewater discharges to surface waters in the State of North Carolina must receive a permit to control water pollution. The Municipal Permitting Branch is responsible for municipal major/minor National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System wastewater.

Pretreatment Program

The Federal and State Pretreatment Program gives regulatory authority for EPA, states, and municipal governments to control the discharge of industrial wastewater into municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) or Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). DWR is the approval authority in this process.

Collection Systems

Collection systems transport sewage, or untreated wastewater, to wastewater treatment facilities through sewer lines and force mains, which are sewer lines that carry wastewater under pressure from pumps or lift stations. In North Carolina, collection systems are regulated under 15A NCAC02T.

For municipal permitting contacts, search DWR's employee director online: Contacts list.