The Permitting Program of the Ground Water Quality Bureau consists of the Agriculture Compliance Section, Mining Environmental Compliance Section, and Pollution Prevention Section. Together, these sections issue groundwater discharge permits pursuant to 20.6.2 NMAC (The New Mexico Ground and Surface Water Protection Regulations), 20.6.6 NMAC (Supplemental Permitting Requirements for Dairy Facilities), and 20.6.7 NMAC (Supplemental Permitting Requirements for Copper Mining Faculties) to ensure that industry, wastewater facilities and other activities that discharge water to the environment do not result in groundwater contamination. Permits must be renewed every 5 years.
Public notices of permit applications and draft permits are available on the NMED Public Notices page.
Types of facilities that NMED issues permits for include:
- domestic wastewater facilities;
- large capacity (greater than 5,000 gallons per day) septic tank leachfield systems;
- power generating facilities;
- dairy facilities;
- chile processors;
- mining operations;
- other commercial and industrial operations (when not served by sanitary sewers); and
- groundwater clean-up systems
Permitting Program Site Lists
- List of facilities regulated by the Agriculture Compliance Section (excel)
- List of facilities regulated by the Mining Environmental Compliance Section (excel)
- List of facilities regulated by the Pollution Prevention Section (excel)
All permit forms and applications are available on the NMED Forms page.
Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Permitting Resources
- Above Ground use of Reclaimed Domestic Water (January 2007)
- Monitoring Well Construction and Abandonment Guidelines (March 2011)
- Synthetically Lined Lagoons – Liner Material and Site Preparation Guideline (May 2007)
- Gray Water Guide and Regulations
- Consultant List, Firms providing assistance with wastewater and remediation
- Laboratory List, Laboratories capable of testing environmental media
- Guidance: How To Sample A Monitoring Well (excel)
- Guia: Como tomar una muestra de un pozo de monitoreo (excel)