Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 111.22

Current through September 30, 2024
Section NR 111.22 - Monitoring requirements

An owner or operator of a facility to which this subchapter applies shall perform all of the following monitoring:

(1) BIOLOGICAL MONITORING.
(a)Impingement and entrainment monitoring. The owner or operator of the facility shall monitor both impingement and entrainment of the commercial, recreational, and forage base fish and shellfish species identified in either the source water baseline biological characterization data required under s. NR 111.41(3) or the comprehensive demonstration study required under s. NR 111.41(19), depending on whether the owner or operator of the facility chooses to comply with s. NR 111.21(2) (a) or (b).
(b)Impingement and entrainment monitoring methods. The monitoring methods used shall be consistent with those used for the source water baseline biological characterization data required under s. NR 111.41(3) or the comprehensive demonstration study required under s. NR 111.41(19).
(c)Impingement and entrainment monitoring frequency. The owner or operator of the facility shall monitor at the frequencies identified in pars. (d) to (f) for at least two years after the initial permit issuance. After that time, the department may approve a request for less frequent sampling in the remaining years of the permit term and when the permit is reissued, if the department determines the supporting data show that less frequent monitoring would still allow for the detection of any seasonal and daily variations in the species and numbers of individuals that are impinged or entrained.
(d)Impingement sampling. The owner or operator of the facility shall collect samples to monitor impingement rates for each species over a 24-hour period and no less than once per month when the cooling water intake structure is in operation.
(e)Entrainment sampling. The owner or operator of the facility shall collect samples at least every other week to monitor entrainment rates for each species over a 24-hour period during the primary period of reproduction, larval recruitment, and peak abundance, as identified by the department. Samples shall be collected only when the cooling water intake structure is in operation.
(f)Authority to modify. The department may modify the monitoring program when the permit is reissued and during the term of the permit based on changes in physical or biological conditions in the vicinity of the cooling water intake structure. The department may require continued monitoring based on the results of the verification monitoring plan in the track II comprehensive demonstration study required under s. NR 111.41(19) (c) 3.
(2) VELOCITY MONITORING. An owner or operator of the facility using surface water intake screen systems shall continuously monitor head loss across the screens and correlate the measured value with the design intake velocity. The head loss across the intake screen shall be measured at the minimum ambient source water surface elevation, based on the Q 7,10 flow or the department's best professional judgment and available hydrological data. The maximum head loss across the screen for each cooling water intake structure shall be used to determine compliance with the velocity requirement specified in s. NR 111.21(2) (a) 2. An alternate frequency for monitoring head loss or velocity may be approved by the department if continuous monitoring would be infeasible or overly burdensome. The alternate frequency shall at a minimum monitor head loss or velocity during initial facility startup and thereafter at the frequency specified in the WPDES permit but no less than once per quarter. An owner or operator of the facility using devices other than surface intake screens shall monitor velocity at the point of entry through that device.
(3) FLOW RATE MONITORING. The owner or operator of the facility shall monitor the total volume of water withdrawn and the percent used for cooling on a daily basis. Alternatively, an owner or operator of a facility may report percent of flow used for cooling on a less frequent basis if daily monitoring is infeasible or overly burdensome and if the department approves an alternate method of estimating this value. Additionally, if applicable, make-up water and blowdown daily flow rates shall be monitored. The department may require additional monitoring necessary to demonstrate compliance with s. NR 111.21.
(4) VISUAL OR REMOTE INSPECTIONS. The owner or operator of the facility shall either conduct visual inspections or employ remote monitoring devices during the period the cooling water intake structure is in operation. Such inspections shall be performed at least weekly to ensure that any design and construction technologies required in s. NR 111.21 are maintained and operated to ensure that they will continue to function as designed.
(5) TRACK II FACILITIES. Facilities that choose to comply with the track II requirements under s. NR 111.21(2) (b) shall also comply with the verification monitoring plan requirements specified in s. NR 111.41(19) (c) 3.

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 111.22

Adopted by, CR 19-105: cr. Register May 2020 No. 773, eff. 6/1/2020