Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 283 - Pollution discharge elimination.
283.13 - Effluent limitations.

283.13 Effluent limitations.
(1) Categories and classes of point sources. The department shall promulgate a list of categories and classes of point sources which is at least as comprehensive as the list appearing in section 1316 (b) (1) (A) of the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376.
(2) Sources other than public treatment works. The discharge from any point source, other than a publicly owned treatment works or a source of storm water permitted under s. 283.33, shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) Best practicable technology. The application of the best practicable control technology currently available.
(b) Requirements for certain pollutants. For pollutants identified under pars. (c), (d) and (f):
1.
a. The application of the best available technology economically achievable for a point source or a category or class of point sources which will result in reasonable further progress toward the national goal of eliminating the discharge of all pollutants as stated in the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376; or
b. The application of the best available technology which will result in the elimination of the discharge of all pollutants if the department finds on the basis of information available to it that the elimination is technologically and economically achievable for a category or class of point sources.
2. The application of any applicable pretreatment requirements or any other requirements under s. 283.21 to any point source discharging pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works.
(c) Certain toxic pollutants; compliance by July 1, 1984. Compliance with the effluent limitations under par. (b) with respect to all toxic pollutants referred to in table 1 of committee print number 95-30 of the committee on public works and transportation of the U.S. house of representatives by no later than July 1, 1984.
(d) Other toxic pollutants; compliance within 3 years after limitations are established. Compliance with effluent limitations under par. (b) with respect to all toxic pollutants included on the list promulgated under s. 283.21 (1) (a) but which are not included in the table referred to under par. (c) not later than 3 years after the date the effluent limitations are established.
(e) Conventional pollutants; compliance by July 1, 1984. The application of the best conventional pollutant control technology for pollutants identified under section 1314 (a) (4) of the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376 by no later than July 1, 1984.
(f) Other pollutants. Compliance with effluent limitations under par. (b) with respect to all pollutants not included under pars. (c) to (e) not later than 3 years after the date effluent limitations are established, but in no case before July 1, 1984 or after July 1, 1987.
(g) Certain innovative processes; compliance before July 1, 1987.
1. For a facility which proposes to comply with the requirements of par. (b) by utilizing an innovative production process, innovative control technique or innovative system by a date established by the department after consulting with U.S. environmental protection agency but not later than July 1, 1987.
2. An innovative production process is a process to replace existing production capacity with a process which will result in an effluent reduction significantly greater than that required by the applicable effluent limitation and which moves toward the goal of eliminating the discharge of all pollutants.
3. An innovative control technique is a technique which has a substantial likelihood of enabling the facility to achieve a significantly greater effluent reduction than that required by the applicable effluent limitation and which moves toward the national goal of eliminating the discharge of all pollutants as stated under the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376.
4. An innovative system is a system which has the potential for significantly lower costs than the systems which the department has determined to be economically achievable if the department determines that the system has the potential for industrywide application.
(3) Modifications.
(a) Maximum use of technology and reasonable progress. The department may modify the requirements of sub. (2) (f) in accordance with s. 283.63 for any point source for which a permit application is filed after July 1, 1977 if the owner or operator of the point source satisfactorily demonstrates to the department that the modified requirements will represent the maximum use of technology within the economic capability of the owner or operator and will result in reasonable further progress toward the national goal of elimination of the discharge of pollutants as stated in the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376.
(b) Minimum compliance.
1. The department with the concurrence of the U.S. environmental protection agency shall modify the requirements of sub. (2) (f) with respect to the discharge of any pollutant other than heat from any point source upon a showing by the owner or operator of the point source satisfactory to the department in a proceeding under s. 283.63 that:
a. The modified requirements will result in compliance with the requirements of sub. (2) (a) or (5), whichever is applicable;
b. The modified requirements will not result in any additional requirements for any other point or nonpoint source; and
c. The modification will not interfere with the attainment or maintenance of water quality which assures protection of public water supplies, which assures the protection and propagation of a balanced population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife and which allows recreational activities in and on the water and that the modification will not result in the discharge of pollutants in quantities which reasonably may be anticipated to pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment because of bioaccumulation, persistency in the environment, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or teratogenicity or synergistic propensities.
2. If an owner or operator of a point source applies for a modification under this paragraph with respect to the discharge of any pollutant, that owner or operator is eligible to apply for modification under this subsection with respect to that pollutant only during the same time period as the owner or operator is eligible to apply for a modification under this paragraph.
(c) Applications for modification.
1. Any application filed under this subsection for a modification of the requirements of sub. (2) (b) as it applies to pollutants identified in sub. (2) (f) shall be filed not later than 270 days after the date of promulgation of an applicable effluent limitation by the department under this chapter.
2. Any application for a modification filed under this subsection does not operate to stay any requirement under this chapter, unless in the judgment of the department the stay or the modification sought will not result in the discharge of pollutants in quantities which may reasonably be anticipated to pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment because of bioaccumulation, persistency in the environment, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or teratogenicity, or synergistic propensities and there is a substantial likelihood that the applicant will succeed on the merits of the application. If an application is filed under this subsection, the department may condition any stay granted under this subdivision upon the filing of a bond or other appropriate security to assure timely compliance with the requirements from which a modification is sought.
(d) No modification for toxic pollutants. Notwithstanding pars. (a) and (b), the department may not modify any requirement of this subsection or sub. (2) applicable to any toxic pollutant which is on the list promulgated under s. 283.21 (1).
(4) Effluent limitations for public treatment works. Discharges from publicly owned treatment works, except storm water discharges for which a permit is issued under s. 283.33, shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) Secondary treatment for certain works. Secondary treatment by no later than July 1, 1977, for all publicly owned treatment works in existence on that date or approved prior to June 30, 1974, and for which construction is completed within 4 years of approval;
(b) Best practicable waste treatment technology. The application of the best practicable waste treatment technology over the life of the works consistent with the purposes of this chapter by no later than July 1, 1983.
(c) Other limitations for combined sewer overflows. In lieu of pars. (a) and (b), effluent limitations required by subs. (2) (a) and (5) for combined sewer systems tributary to treatment works owned and operated by any metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.21 to 200.65.
(5) More stringent limitations. The department shall establish more stringent effluent limitations than required under subs. (2) and (4) and shall require compliance with such water quality based effluent limitations in any permit issued, reissued or modified if these limitations are necessary to meet applicable water quality standards, treatment standards, schedules of compliance or any other state or federal law, rule or regulation. The department shall require compliance with these water quality based effluent limitations by no later than July 1, 1977, or by a later date as specified in the water quality standard, treatment standard, schedule of compliance or other state or federal law, rule or regulation.
(6) Modification of time limits.
(a) Except as provided under par. (d), the department may modify the time limitations specified under subs. (4) and (5) for any publicly owned treatment works to increase the period of time for compliance with effluent limitations.
(b) The modification of the time limitations mentioned under par. (a) may be granted if the department determines that the construction of treatment works necessary to achieve compliance with effluent limitations cannot be completed within the prescribed time period due to events over which the permittee has little or no control unless the modification is prohibited under par. (d).
(c) The modification of the time limitations mentioned under par. (a) shall be granted if the department determines that the construction of treatment works necessary to achieve compliance with effluent limitations cannot be completed within the prescribed time period due to the unavailability of federal or state funds unless the modification is prohibited under the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376.
(d) Except as provided under par. (c), no modification of the time limitations under par. (a) may extend beyond December 31, 1985.
(7) Adaptive management.
(a) In this subsection, “adaptive management option" means an approach to achieving compliance with a water quality standard adopted under s. 281.15 or a total maximum daily load under 33 USC 1313 (d) (1) (C) approved by the federal environmental protection agency under which a permittee implements a plan to achieve the water quality standard or total maximum daily load through verifiable reductions in the amount of water pollution from point sources and nonpoint sources, as defined in s. 281.16 (1) (e), in a basin or other area specified by the department and uses monitoring data, modeling, and other appropriate information to adjust the plan if needed to achieve compliance.
(b) The department may authorize a permittee to use an adaptive management option to achieve compliance with the water quality standard for phosphorus or an approved total maximum daily load for total suspended solids, and if it does so, the department may specify a date under sub. (5) that provides 4 permit terms for the permittee to comply with its water quality based effluent limitation for phosphorus or total suspended solids.
History: 1973 c. 74; 1975 c. 206; 1979 c. 34, 221; 1981 c. 282; 1981 c. 314 s. 146; 1981 c. 393; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 56; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 227 s. 860; Stats. 1995 s. 283.13; 1997 a. 35; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2013 a. 378.