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5.15 WATER RESOURCES 5.15.5.1 Federal LORS In California, discharges of wastewater and stormwater into surface waters are regulated by the SWRCB and RWQCBs under the Clean Water Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. LEC will discharge wastewater to an underground injection well and to the atmosphere through evaporation in the cooling tower. Relevant NPDES permits for stormwater quality management are discussed below under state and local LORS. 5.15.5.1.1 Safe Drinking Water Act The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996,and requires many actions to protect drinking water and its sources. The EPA sets national standards for drinking water to protect against health risks, considering available technology and costs. These National Primary Drinking Water Regulations set enforceable maximum contaminant levels for particular contaminants in drinking water or required ways to treat water to remove contaminants. The SDWA requires EPA to develop minimum federal requirements for Underground Injection Control (UIC) programs and other safeguards to protect public health by preventing injection wells from contaminating underground sources of drinking water. As a result, a permit from EPA is required to discharge to an underground injection well. The federal regulations for the UIC Program are found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 5.15.5.2 State LORS 5.15.5.2.1 SWRCB Resolution No. 75.58; California Water Code Sections 13550, 13551,461, and 13751; CEC Policy SWRCB Resolution No. 75-58 provides statewide water quality principles for adoption of discharge requirements and implementation actions for power plants that depend upon inland waters for cooling. This policy also provides guidance in the planning of new power plants to encourage the use of wastewater for cooling,thus minimizing the use of potable water. In addition, California Water Code Sections 13550, 13551,and 461 encourage the conservation of potable water resources and the maximum reuse of wastewater to conserve potable water,particularly in areas where recycled water of adequate quality is available at a reasonable cost. California Water Code Section 13751 requires a well completion report be filed with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) within 60 days from the date of construction, alternation, abandonment, or destruction of a well is completed. In the 2003 Integrated Energy Policy Report,the California Energy Commission adopted a policy requiring new power plants to use degraded or recycled water or air-cooled systems to reduce the amount of fresh water used for power plant cooling systems. Fresh water can only be used if alternative cooling methods would cause a significant adverse environmental impact or be economically or otherwise infeasible. 5.15.5.2.2 Phase II NPDES Stormwater Permit Program In accordance with the Clean Water Act,the City of Lodi and San Joaquin County have each prepared a Stormwater Management Program(2003). These Stormwater Management Programs were prepared pursuant to EPA's Phase II Stormwater Permit Program for small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). A regulated small MS4 operator must develop,implement, and enforce a stormwater management program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from their MS4 to the"maximum extent practicable," to protect 5.15-28 SAC/3713221082340005(LEC_5.15_WATER_RESOURCES.DOC)