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Water Quality - Permits

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Welcome to the Permits Section

We issue legally binding permits for the discharge of pollutants to state waters, including surface waters and some groundwater.

Our job is to ensure that the discharge permits we issue protect the beneficial uses of those waters (domestic water supply, aquatic life, agriculture, recreation, and wetlands.)

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Clean water permitting sectors (permits by category)

Our clean water permit sectors page provides information about commerce and industry, construction, municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4), domestic sewage systems, biosolids, pesticides, reclaimed water, pretreatment, and contacts.

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Here is a quick overview of how permits work in Colorado.

  • Senate Bill 89-181 governs the protection of groundwater quality and discharges to groundwater among several implementing state agencies.
  • The discharge of dredge and fill materials into state waters is excluded from the definition of discharge pollutants and is regulated by a different program.
  • The Environmental Agriculture Program regulates the discharge of pollutants to state waters and other items related to animal feeding operations.
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Links to Permitting Resources and References

Permit records search

Search current permit records using the WQCD Permits Record Search map

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Stakeholder Participation

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Basin schedule for individual permits

Individual process water permits to surface water are renewed under a basin schedule. Each year, the Water Quality Control Commission holds a basin hearing in June, which becomes effective in December. The Permits Section starts renewing permits in the basin the year after the Commission hearing.

The division does not currently have the resources to renew all permits every time it works in a basin. The division uses this criteria to prioritize individual permit renewals. When the division is working in a basin, it regularly shares its progress during the quarterly Clean Water webinars.

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  • Commission Hearing in June 2022 | Regulations 34 and 35
  • Permitting in the second half of 2023 through 2024

 

  • Commission Hearing in June 2024 — Regulations 32 and 36
  • Permitting in 2025

 

  • Commission Hearing in June 2024| Regulations 33 and 37
  • Permitting in 2025

 

  • Commission Hearing in June 2025 | Regulation 38
  • Permitting in 2026 and 2027