As required under the Clean Water Act amendments of 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a framework for permitting municipal and industrial stormwater discharges. The Colorado program is called the Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS).
The division has permit regulations (5CCR 1002-61) that require stormwater discharges from construction activity to be covered under a permit. This includes all construction activity that results in land disturbance equal to or greater than one acre or disturbance of less than one acre of total land area that is part of a larger plan of development or sale if the larger common plan will ultimately disturb equal to or greater than one acre.
The current construction stormwater discharge general permit expires on March 31, 2024, and the division expects to renew the permit effective April 1, 2024. The draft renewal COR400000 permit is now available, and the division is in the process of responding to comments received during the public comment period, which ended on November 14, 2023. The permit outlines compliance with water quality standards via practice-based limitations and requirements. The draft renewal permit includes updates made to add clarity.
Before renewal, all permittees who have not done so must claim their facilities in Colorado Environmental Online Service (CEOS), the division’s online application system; this can be done anytime. Additionally, all permittees must submit renewal applications using the CEOS system by January 2, 2024. For further assistance in CEOS, please refer to these guidance documents. The division will automatically terminate permits without submitted renewal applications on March 31, 2024, when the general permit expires.
New permit applications under the current COR400000 permit will be accepted through February 29, 2024. Any new permit applications received on or after March 1, 2024, will be processed after the general permit is renewed in April 2024. No new certifications under the COR400000 will be issued in March 2024. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead and apply for necessary certifications before this time.
How to get involved
The division will be hosting stakeholder meetings to discuss updates and gather input.
Sign up to receive notifications about this effort and scroll down to select “Permits - Construction.”
The division hosted stakeholder meetings on July 24, 2023, August 2, 2023, and November 2, 2023, to review the COR400000 draft renewal permit and discuss the proposed draft changes. The meeting recordings, agendas, presentations, and other materials are stored in this public folder.”
The draft renewal permit and fact sheet are available for review. The public comment period for the COR400000 renewal permit closed on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Submitted comments are available for review.
For questions related to the stakeholder process, please contact:
- Al Stafford | al.stafford@state.co.us
For questions about the construction general permit, contact:
- Randi Johnson-Hufford | randi.johnson-hufford@state.co.us
For questions related to CEOS and the application process, email or call the Permits unit:
- cdphe_wqcd_permits@state.co.us | 303-692-3517
For questions or comments related to this email or stakeholder engagement webpage, email: