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NPDES Permit Program

An Online Basic Course

The discharge of pollutants from point sources is a major factor affecting the condition of our nation’s waters. To manage these discharges, the NPDES permit program was established in 1972 under the Clean Water Act. Discharging of point source pollutants into a water of the United States is prohibited unless an NPDES permit has been granted.

This module, NPDES Permit Program, designed by EPA’s Office of Science and Technology for state and tribal employees and the general public, provides training on all aspects of the program including who has the ability to issue NPDES permits, the different types of permits that can be issued, and the steps involved in developing a permit to ensure compliance with water quality standards.

The course concludes with a brief quiz intended to touch on key aspects of the NPDES permit program. The main pages of this module and quiz at the end are designed to take approximately 30 minutes to complete. (Note that quiz responses are not scored or recorded.)



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