What is VPDES?
Section 402 of the Clean Water Act established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program to limit pollutant discharges into streams, rivers, and bays. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, DEQ administers the program as the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES).
DEQ issues individual permits to both municipal and industrial facilities. Permit requirements, special conditions, effluent limitations and monitoring requirements are determined for each facility on a site specific basis in order to meet applicable water quality standards. NASA LaRC has an individual industrial VPDES permit. Primarily, this permit allows for the discharge of cooling tower blowdown to the storm system from LaRC. Some other processes such as 1247E compressor blowdown, aircraft and fleet vehicle wash water, etc. are also included in our individual permit.
What does this mean to you?
If your facility is planning on discharging any wastewater to the storm system you need to get an Environmental review of the process. LaRC Environmental staff will work with DEQ on getting authorization to discharge, amend our permit, or we may require a different discharge strategy altogether. If your facility is changing processes, draining equipment (closed loop chiller systems, cooling towers, etc.), changing approved products, drainage piping, etc. please remember to coordinate with Environmental staff through the LF 461 process or call Ande Remington at 864-8332.
You can learn more about DEQ’s program by visiting here: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/permits-regulations/permits/water/surface-water-virginia-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system
