Guidelines for Livestock Producers

NPDES Permit

There are potentially two types of NPDES permits that a livestock operator would need: an NPDES wastewater permit and an NPDES storm water permit.

Wastewater Permit

A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater permit issued by the director of Ohio EPA authorizes a discharge to waters of the state and sets limits on the amount of pollutants allowed to be discharged. This permit is rarely used for animal waste in Ohio.

The following animal operations/ facilities will need NPDES wastewater permits from Ohio EPA:

A. If the operation/facility meets all of the following conditions:

• animal feeding operation of 1,000 animal units or more (see page 14)
• facility is designed and operated to contain the volume of all process wastewater generated at the site and runoff from up to a 25-year, 24-hour storm event
• there is a potential for a discharge (a discharge does not have to be a controlled, directed flow and could include wash water from a milk parlor, silo drainage, lagoon overflows or manure runoff from a feedlot)

B. A livestock operation with a controlled direct discharge to waters of the state, regardless of the number of animal units. A controlled direct discharge is a man-made conveyance, such as a pipe, which carries wastewater.

Except for these two situations, an NPDES permit is not automatically required.

Anyone found discharging pollutants without valid permits may be liable for civil and/or criminal penalties.

NPDES Storm Water Permit

An NPDES construction storm water permit is necessary if more than five acres of land will be cleared, graded or excavated.