Permit Results
Wastewater Discharge Permits

Wastewater or Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permits are an important tool in protecting Wisconsin's water quality. They establish the amount of pollutants to be removed from wastewater and the amounts that may be discharged to assure the protection of public health and the environment. These permits assure that municipalities, industries and other dischargers provide a level of treatment or control that is consistent so all similar facilities have comparable requirements. The following examples show how WPDES permit requirements are effective in achieving these objectives:

• Ninety percent or more of the pollutants in the sewage discharged from municipal sewerage systems and in wastewater discharged from industrial facilities are removed.
• Pulp and paper mills installed wastewater treatment systems that have resulted in return of significant aquatic life to major state river systems.
• Ninety percent or more of the toxic metals discharged by industry into municipal sanitary sewerage systems have been eliminated.
• Municipal and industrial wastewater residuals or biosolids are effectively, safely and sustainably reused through application on agricultural lands.
• Municipalities are required to provide long-term maintenance and replacement of wastewater infrastructure to cost-effectively protect those investments.
• PCB removal has resulted in discharge of this substance to essentially zero.
• Land application of wastewater is limited to rates and levels that do not pollute the groundwater.

Wisconsin DNR staff responsible for implementation of the WPDES program have successfully modified program operations over the years to assure continued good service to permittees and the public. Accomplishments include the following:

• Maintaining a permit reissuance backlog of less than 10% since 1996 (permits must be reissued once every 5 years).
• Attaining an overall high satisfaction rating of 94% in a 2002 survey of permittees.
• Designing a state-of-the-art information technology system for WPDES permits, including tracking all permittees and their discharges.
• Assuring permittees maintain a high rate of compliance through effective compliance assistance and enforcement activities.