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NPDES General Permits

Note: For general permits not in the NPDES program, use these links:

Recent Activities

Ohio EPA Will NOT Finalize Proposed Data Center General Permit 

Community Notice (July 21, 2026) - Public participation is a critical part of Ohio EPA’s decision-making process, and we take feedback seriously.

After carefully reviewing the significant volume of public comments received on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for data centers, Ohio EPA has decided not to move forward with finalizing the general permit.

The individual NPDES permit issuance process is the most appropriate path forward at this time.

Individual NPDES permits will continue to uphold the same rigorous environmental standards and protections required under state and federal law.


Description

Whenever a municipality, industry, or other entity wishes to discharge water to a surface water of the State, they must first obtain a permit from Ohio EPA's Division of Surface Water (DSW). This permit is called a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. NPDES permits regulate wastewater discharges by limiting the quantities of pollutants to be discharged and imposing monitoring requirements and other conditions. The limits and/or requirements in the permit help ensure compliance with Ohio's Water Quality Standards and Federal Regulations, all of which were written to protect public health and the aquatic environment.

In August of 1992, the U.S. EPA delegated to Ohio EPA the authority to issue general NPDES permits. Ohio law regarding general permits (Ohio Revised Code Section 6111.035) was originally written to apply to coal mining and reclamation activities. It was revised to expand the scope of general permits to stormwater discharges and then, in 1993, to include wastewater discharges with a de minimis impact on the receiving stream. Rules addressing the general NPDES permit program are in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-38. DSW is in the process of developing and issuing general permits for a variety of discharges in order to increase efficiency and to help make it easier for various dischargers to obtain an NPDES permit.

Advantages of a General Permit

There are several advantages to obtaining coverage under a general NPDES permit instead of an individual NPDES permit, such as:

  • Simplified one-page application form.
  • The one-page application form doesn't require the inclusion of effluent data.
  • Ohio EPA processing time is reduced, allowing quicker review time.
  • Permit consistency with other similar facilities.
  • Permit requirements are available prior to applying.
  • Annual discharge fee may not apply.

General Permits

Permit Numbering Structure

The Ohio EPA facility permit number identifies which of our five districts the facility is located within and which general permit coverage has been granted. The first character, 0 - 4, represents which district:

  • 0 - Southeast District Office (SEDO) 
  • 1 - Southwest District Office (SWDO) 
  • 2 - Northwest District Office (NWDO) 
  • 3 - Northeast District Office (NEDO) 
  • 4 - Central Office (CO)

The second character, "G" indicates the number is a facility covered by a general permit.

The third character, a letter, indicates which general permit:

  • S - Small Sanitary Discharges 
  • V - Small Sanitary Discharges that cannot meet BADCT Standards 
  • N - Non-Contact Cooling Water 
  • B - Petroleum Bulk Storage Facilities 
  • U - Petroleum-Related Corrective Action 
  • W - Water Treatment Plant Discharges 
  • T - Temporary Discharges 
  • H - Hydrostatic Test Water
  • M - coal surface mines

The remaining numbers are specific to each site and the suffix indicates whether it is the site’s initial (*AG) or renewal (*BG, etc.) coverage

Applying for Coverage

General NPDES permits are usually issued for up to five years. Upon expiration, the permit is revised if necessary and renewed. When a permit is issued, a discharger may review the permit and decide whether or not to apply for coverage.

Before the discharger decides to apply for coverage under the general permit, their discharge must be able to meet all of the requirements and effluent limitations in the general permit.

To apply for general permit coverage, the discharger submits a notice of intent (NOI) application form. Ohio EPA will review the NOI and send a letter informing the discharger of the approval or denial of their general permit coverage.

If the discharger decides not to apply for general permit coverage, they must apply for an individual permit. Ohio EPA is not required to approve all general permit applicants to be covered by the general permit, but may require the discharger to apply for an individual permit if environmental concerns exist that are not addressed by the general permit. It is preferred that each facility be covered by only one NPDES permit (i.e., the individual permit).

NOI (Notice of Intent) and NOT (Notice of Termination) application forms and instructions are available in electronic format, information is below.

STREAMS application submittal system!

Application forms are now only accessible electronically via the Ohio EPA eBusiness center.

PLEASE NOTE : Consultants CANNOT PIN (i.e., electronically sign) applications on behalf of their clients. Consultants can COMPLETE and SAVE an application then DELEGATE it to their client to PIN and submit. See the eBusiness Center Services page for current guides. 

Access all available NPDES permitting forms through your Ohio EPA eBusiness Center account and submit electronically.

NOI Processing Fees

  • Industrial stormwater NOI fee is $350.
  • Construction stormwater NOI fee, as shown in the table below, is $200 plus $20 per whole disturbed acre (do not round-up) above five whole acres, with a maximum disturbed acreage fee of $300. 
  • Under this fee schedule, sites with 20 or more disturbed acres would pay the maximum fee of $500.
  • All other NOIs Total Fee Due = $200.00

These fees can be found in paragraph (S)(1) of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 3745.11.

Disturbed Acreage Base Fee Additional Acreage Fee Total Fee Due
1 - 5.99 acres $200 $0 $200
6 - 6.99 acres $200 $20 $220
7 - 7.99 acres $200 $40 $240
8 - 8.99 acres $200 $60 $260
9 - 9.99 acres $200 $80 $280
10 - 10.99 acres $200 $100 $300
11 - 11.99 acres $200 $120 $320
12 - 12.99 acres $200 $140 $340
13 - 13.99 acres $200 $160 $360
14 - 14.99 acres $200 $180 $380
15 - 15.99 acres $200 $200 $400
16 - 16.99 acres $200 $220 $420
17 - 17.99 acres $200 $240 $440
18 - 18.99 acres $200 $260 $460
19 - 19.99 acres $200 $280 $480
20 acres and up $200 $300 $500

 

NOI Effluent Tables

From “Instructions - Notice of Intent (NOI) Application form For Requesting Coverage Under An Ohio Environmental Protection Agency General Permit”

Effluent Table: This item does not apply to construction, small MS4, or coal surface mining general permit applicants. Select the appropriate effluent table for each outfall to be covered under the general permit. For example, applicants seeking coverage under the small sanitary general permit (OHS000004) for a non-lagoon sanitary discharge greater than 5,000 gallons per day to the Ohio River should select Table 002 – Non-lagoons, Ohio R. direct, flow 5,000 gpd or greater. See the list below or select a table from the drop-down list on the form if available.

Effluent Table List

  • OHB000002 – Table 001, Type A or Type B facilities
  • OHB000002 – Table 002, Type C facilities
  • OHH000002 – Table 001, Discharge from new/unused pipes & tanks
  • OHH000002 – Table 002, Discharge from used pipes & tanks
  • OHK000002 – Table A.1, Non-lake Erie dischargers
  • OHK000002 – Table A.2, Lake Erie direct dischargers
  • OHN000004 – Table 001, Flow 1-9,999 gpd
  • OHN000004 – Table 002, Flow 10,000 – 99,999 gpd
  • OHN000004 – Table 003, Flow 100,000 gpd or more
  • OHO000001 – Table 001
  • OHS000004 – Table 001, Non-lagoons, not Ohio R., flow 5,000 gpd or more
  • OHS000004 – Table 002, Non-lagoons, Ohio R. direct, flow 5,000 gpd or more
  • OHS000004 – Table 003, Non-lagoons, not Ohio R., flow 1,500-4,999 gpd
  • OHS000004 – Table 004, Non-lagoons, Ohio R. direct, flow 1,500-4,999 gpd
  • OHS000004 – Table 005, Non-lagoons, not Ohio R., flow 1-1,499 gpd
  • OHS000004 – Table 006, Non-lagoons, Ohio R. direct, flow 1-1,499 gpd
  • OHS000004 – Table 001, Continuous Discharge Lagoons
  • OHT000002 – Table 001
  • OHU000005 – Table 001, Low to medium hardness watersheds
  • OHU000005 – Table 002, Medium to high hardness watersheds
  • OHV000003 – Table 001
  • OHW000003 – Table 001, Plain Purification, Ohio R.
  • OHW000003 – Table 002, Plain Purification, non-Ohio R., low flow stream
  • OHW000003 – Table 003, Plain Purification, non-Ohio R., high flow
  • OHW000003 – Table 004, Lime-soda, low flow stream
  • OHW000003 – Table 005, Lime-soda, high flow stream
  • OHW000003 – Table 006, Iron & Manganese, low flow stream
  • OHW000003 – Table 007, Iron & Manganese, high flow stream
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