Hamilton County Water Quality Department

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated the establishment of a stormwater program as authorized under the Clean Water Act (1977) and the Water Quality Act (1987). The Acts require urbanized cities and counties to implement a water quality program to protect our streams and rivers. Hamilton County along with Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank, Ridgeside, and Soddy Daisy agreed to form a multi-jurisdictional program, the Hamilton County Water Quality Program (the Program), under State of Tennessee NPDES Permit Number TNS075566.

The Program is required to educate the public on stormwater quality issues, facilitate public reporting of dumping or other water pollution problems, provide pollution report investigations, provide stormwater pollution prevention plans for municipal facilities, inventory stormwater outfalls and answer questions associated with the Program, the annual fee and other water quality issues.

Effective January 1, 2008, the Program became responsible for permitting industrial sites located within the Program Service Area having non-polluting non-stormwater discharges that enter into the stormwater collection system. In addition to obtaining the necessary permits required by the State of Tennessee , each facility must submit a Non-Stormwater Discharge Permit application to the Program.

Each application for a Non-Stormwater Discharge Permit must be accompanied by the following:

Vicinity map identifying the location of the facility and its outfalls.
Latitude and Longitude (in decimal degrees) of the center of the site, as well as each outfall.
Complete Copy of TDEC NOI with all attachments.
Copy of Approved NOC with any other approval correspondence.
$150 non-refundable application fee.

The Program staff will review each application and provide a written response containing either approval of the permit application, approval of the application with conditions, or denial of the application with the reason for denial within 30 calendar days. Once issued, the Non-Stormwater Discharge Permit will remain effective for 3 years unless the permittee is found in violation of the permit terms.

The goal of the Program is to protect and improve the water quality in our service area while meeting the measurable goals outlined in our permit. We appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward achieving this goal.

Non-Stormwater Discharge Permit Application

Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding the Program or the Non-Stormwater Discharge Permit.