The 100-J Water Quality General Permit is a statewide water quality permit for minor sources of pollution. More specifically, this is a permit for industrial and commercial facilities that discharge no more than 0.5 million gallons per day of non-contact cooling water, defrost water, heat pump transfer water, and cooling tower blowdown. Also included are cooling and sump water discharges from hydroelectric facilities.
DEQ renewed the 100-J water quality general permit on April 15, 2024 bringing it up-to-date with water quality regulations and requirements. DEQ required existing facilities to submit an Intent to Apply - 60-Day Notice form to continue operating under the discharge limitations and requirements of the expired 1996 100-J permit.
DEQ provides time for existing facilities to submit an application with information on its operation to satisfy new permit requirements. For most existing facilities, an application for permit coverage is due by May 31, 2027. However, existing facilities must notify DEQ at least one year earlier if any of the following documents or analysis is going to be submitted with the application: spawning bed documentation, cooling water intake structure documentation, a land application plan, ambient natural lake temperature, or downstream effects analysis. See Registration for Permit Coverage on page 6 Condition 3.b. of the updated 100-J permit for information.
An application for a new facility must meet a shorter time frame.
Any facility not eligible for permit coverage must obtain an individual permit.
Find 100-J forms on DEQ’s
Permit Applications and Renewal Forms web page.
DEQ hosted information sessions starting in late January 2022 to let permit holders and other interested parties know that the permit is being renewed, that renewal involves a review of current regulations and to expect significant changes since the permit was last issued in 1996.
A second information session was held to relay current temperature criteria and provide an overview of DEQ's temperature total maximum daily loads.
DEQ held additional information sessions in preparation for having a draft permit for public comment.