Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23 § 3939

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 24, June 14, 2024

Section 3939 - Resolution NO. 2002-022, Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the los Angeles Region to Incorporate Implementation Provisions for the Region's Bacteria Objectives and to Incorporate a Wet-Weather Total Maximum Daily Load for Bacteria at Santa Monica Bay Beaches

This basin plan amendment establishes implementation provisions for the bacteria objectives set to protect the water contact recreation (REC1) beneficial use. Specifically, this amendment incorporates a "reference system/antidegradation approach" and a "natural exclusion approach" as implementation procedures for the single sample bacteria objectives in the Basin Plan. It also amends the dry weather TMDL to change the reevaluation date in the TMDL from two years after its effective date to four years after the effective date of the wet weather TMDL to achieve consistency in scheduling between the dry-weather and wet-weather TMDLs.

This basin plan amendment establishes a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for bacteria for Santa Monica Bay Beaches during wet weather, defined as days with one-tenth of an inch of rain or greater and the three days following the rain event as well. The TMDL:

(1) establishes the loading capacity of the bay beaches as the maximum densities of the four bacterial indicators (total coliform, fecal coliform, enterococcus, and total coliform when fecal-to-total ratio exceeds 0.1) specified in the basin plan as bacteriological water quality objectives for marine water having a water contact beneficial use designation;

(2) specifies the maximum number of daily and weekly wet-weather sampling days per year which each of the 67 shoreline monitoring stations may exceed any singe sample maximum bacterial density water quality objective;

(3) provides that all responsible jurisdictions and agencies within a subwatershed are jointly responsible for complying with the allowable number of exceedance days for each associated shoreline monitoring site;

(4) establishes zero exceedance days during wet weather for the two Publicly Owned Treatment Works discharging into Santa Monica Bay and its watershed;

(5) establishes zero exceedance days during wet weather for nonpoint sources;

(6) specifies that the allowable exceedance days, and the rolling 30-day geometric bacteria density means (specified in the basin plan as bacteriological water quality objectives) must be achieved no later than ten or eighteen years after the effective date of the TMDL, depending on the implementation approach undertaken;

(7) requires responsible jurisdictions and agencies to conduct daily or systematic weekly sampling at all major drains and creeks and at existing monitoring stations at beaches without storm drains or creeks; and,

(8) specifies that the samples are to be collected from the wave wash (the compliance point).

The amendment identifies the principal regulatory mechanisms to be used to implement the TMDL as the Los Angeles County Municipal Storm Water NPDES permit, the Caltrans Statewide Storm Water Permit, any future Phase 2 Municipal Storm Water NPDES permits within the Santa Monica Bay watershed management area, the General Industrial Stormwater Permit, the General Construction Stormwater Permit, the two NPDES permits for the POTWs, the authority vested in the Executive officer by Water Code sections 13263 and 13267, and regulations to be adopted pursuant to Water Code section 13291. The amendment sets compliance milestones at years 6, 10, 15 and 18.

Resolution No R12-007, Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Los Angeles Region to Revise the Total Maximum Daily Loads for Bacteria in the Santa Monica Bay Beaches; the Marina del Rey Harbor Mothers' Beach and Back Basins; and the Los Angeles Harbor Inner Cabrillo Beach and Main Ship Channel and to Revise Implementation Provisions for Water Contact Recreation Bacteria Objectives

The basin plan amendment revises Resolution No. 2002-004 and 2002-022 by refining allowable exceedances through re-evaluation of the reference system. The amendment further refines the geometric mean implementation provisions and provides that the regional board shall reconsider the TMDL by July 15, 2018.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 3939

1. New section summarizing amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan filed 5-20-2003; amendments adopted by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board 12-12-2002 per Resolution No. 2002-022; approved by OAL and effective 5-20-2003 pursuant to Government Code section 11353 (Register 2003, No. 21).
2. Amendments to basin plan filed 11-7-2013; amendments approved by State Water Resources Control Board 3-19-2013 pursuant to Resolution No. 2013-0008; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 11-7-2013 (Register 2013, No. 45).