Cont.: from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers, Variance Program for Salinity, and Exception from Implementation of Water Quality Obje

Cont.: from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers, Variance Program for Salinity, and Exception from Implementation of Water Quality Obje

The project consists of amendments to both Central Valley Basin Plans to add policies for variances from surface water quality standards for point source dischargers, a multiple discharger variance program for salinity, and an exception from implementation of water quality objectives for salinity. The Variance Policy allows the Central Valley Water Board the authority to grant short-term variances from meeting water quality based effluent limitations to dischargers subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The Variance Policy applies to non-priority pollutants. The Salinity Variance Program is a multiple discharger variance that allows the Central Valley Water Board the authority to grant variances from meeting water quality based effluent limitations for salinity constituents (electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate and sodium) to publicly owned treatment works in NPDES permits. The Salinity Exception Program establishes procedures for dischargers that are subject to waste discharge requirements and conditional waivers to obtain a short-term exception from meeting effluent or groundwater limitations for salinity constituents (electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate and sodium).