The Surface Water Quality Bureau is responsible for the protection of surface water quality through implementation of state’s Ground and Surface Water Protection Regulations dealing with point source discharges and spill reporting. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, created in 1972 by the Clean Water Act, helps address water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to waters of the United States.
The NPDES program is administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the State of New Mexico. All New Mexico NPDES permits are posted on the US EPA website. Permit applications are available from EPA.
The Surface Water Quality Bureau assists the U.S. EPA in implementing the Clean Water Act Section 402 NPDES permit program by reviewing federal permits and preparing Section 401 certifications to certify that the permit also complies with New Mexico law. A list of State of New Mexico Section 401 certifications for NPDES permits is available here. Public notices of new 401 certifications are available on the NMED Public Notices page.
The Surface Water Quality Bureau assists the U.S. EPA to implement the Clean Water Act Section 402 NPDES permit program by conducting federal compliance evaluation inspections on behalf of the EPA.
- The inspection reports are available here.
- EPA General NPDES Permits are available here.
- Permit applications are available from EPA.
- NEW Surface Water Quality State Permitting Program