Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act

Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act

The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act is the state law that expanded the enforcement authority of the water boards. This allowed them to better protect water rights and water quality. It allowed for California Environmental Protection Agency to create the State Water Resources Control Board along with 9 Regional Water Quality Control Boards.

History -The Porter-Cologne Act was created in 1969 and is the law that governs the water quality regulation in California. It was established to be a program to protect the water quality as well as the beneficial uses of water. There are nine regional water boards and one state water board that has resulted from this act. The act requires the adoption of water quality control plans that contain the guiding policies of water pollution management in California.

Mission The act uses the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for point source discharges and waste discharge requirements (WDRs) in order to keep people from degrading the water quality of the State.

-The policy states:

1. The quality of all waters of the State shall be protected
2. All activities and factors affecting the quality of water will be regulated in order to attain the highest water quality within reason.
3. The State must be prepared to exercise its fullest power and jurisdiction in order to protect the quality of water in the State from degradation.

The enforcement of WDRs include:

• cease and desist orders
• clean up and abatement orders
• administrative civil liability orders
• civil court actions
• criminal prosecutions

State Water Resource Control Board The State Water Resources Control Board provides guidance and oversight over the nine regional water boards. They are also responsible for allocating funds and reviewing the regions decisions in order to make sure that the water quality in the State isn't becoming degraded.

The regional water boards are charged with implementing its provisions and have primary responsibility for protecting water quality in California. The regional water boards include:

1. North Coast
2. San Francisco Bay
3. Central Coast
4. Los Angeles
5. Central Valley
6. Lahontan
7. Colorado River Basin
8. Santa Ana
9. San Diego

References www.waterboards.ca.gov/laws_regulations/docs/portercologne.pdf https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I8F23E3E0D45B11DEA95CA4428EC25FA0?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)