Ground Water Permitting

Any facilities that discharge pollutants to ground waters of the State require a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) - Discharge to Ground Water (DGW) permit. The state rule that sets forth the requirements on eligibility, procedures for obtaining, and general conditions for maintaining a NJPDES-DGW permit are in N.J.A.C. 7:14A. The goal of the NJPDES-DGW permitting program is to restore, enhance and maintain the ground water quality of New Jersey. This goal is achieved pursuant to the WPCA and the Ground Water Quality Standards (GWQS), which can be found at N.J.A.C. 7:9C et seq. The GWQS designate ground water classifications throughout the state, designated uses, and ground water quality criteria and constituent standards.

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Onsite Wastewater Management

The Onsite Wastewater Management Program maintains the regulations governing low volume residential and commercial onsite wastewater treatment systems, commonly called septic systems. These regulations, the Standards for Individual Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (N.J.A.C. 7:9A) contain requirements for the proper design, construction, and operation of systems to protect public health and the environment. This program is coordinated with, and implemented though, the local health departments. The program is committed to improving New Jersey’s water quality and protecting human health and the environment and both improving and promoting local septic management.

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Residual Management

Wastewater treatment plants receive untreated wastewater (influent) from the surrounding community and, through a series of physical, chemical and biological processes, 1) reclaim water for discharge back into surface or ground waters, and 2) generate residual (often called sludge, sewage sludge or, when properly treated, biosolids).

The Bureau of Ground Water, Residuals, and Permit Administration is responsible for regulating the residual management activities of domestic and industrial treatment works. The Bureau also regulates certain entities that accept residual from residual generators for the purpose of transportation, storage, transfer processing and/or ultimate management. Bureau responsibilities include oversight of New Jersey's Sludge Quality Assurance Regulations, Standards for the Use or Disposal of Residuals, and the Statewide Sludge Management Plan.

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Regulatory Citations

The following regulatory citations apply to the residuals programs administered by the BGRPA:

• N.J.A.C. 7:14A-20 - Standards for the Use or Disposal of Residual
• N.J.A.C. 7:14C - Sludge Quality Assurance Regulations
• New Jersey Statewide Sludge Management Plan (scroll down to Section K.)
• USEPA 40 CFR Part 503

Permit Administration

The Permit Administration Section (PAS) provides information management services and administrative support to the Division of Water Quality. Specific functions performed by PAS include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Administration of the NJPDES database
• NJPDES data report administration
• USEPA/NJDEP database coordination
• Administration of NJDEP Online Regulatory Services Portal (RSP) services
• Administrative review of all NJPDES permit applications
• Processing of specific minor modification permit actions
• Administration of Monitoring Report Forms (MRFs)
• Administration of NJPDES Fees

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