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Order No. R5-2009-0097 - 6 - Conditional 6 -Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Small Food Processors and Small Wineries Within the Central Valley Region commercial and sport fishing; aquaculture; warm freshwater habitat; cold freshwater habitat; estuarine habitat; wildlife habitat; preservation of biological habitats of special significance, preservation of rare, threatened, or endangered species; migration of aquatic organisms; spawning, reproduction, and/or early development; and shellfish harvesting. 29. State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 68-16 ("Policy with Respect to Maintaining High Quality Waters of the State") (hereafter Resolution 68-16) prohibits degradation of groundwater quality unless it has been shown that: a. The degradation is consistent with the maximum benefit to the people of the State; b. The degradation will not unreasonably affect present and anticipated future beneficial uses; c. The degradation does not result in water quality less than that prescribed in state and regional policies, including violation of one or more water quality objectives; and d. The discharger employs best practicable treatment or control (BPTC) to minimize degradation. 30. This Order does not allow an increase in the volume of wastewater discharged compared to prior waivers. Although the Board previously considered Resolution 68-16 with respect to regulation of small food processors, the Board makes the following findings regarding compliance with Resolution 68-16. 31. Because of the variability of soil and groundwater conditions throughout the Central Valley Region as cited in Finding No. 11, it is not possible to state with certainty that no discharge regulated under, and in compliance with, this Order will degrade groundwater quality. However, even if it occurs, such degradation will not exceed applicable groundwater quality objectives. In addition, this Order includes the following specific requirements and conditions which constitute BPTC for the type of discharges regulated by this Order. These BPTC requirements will minimize degradation, prevent exceedance of any water quality objectives, and prevent impacts to beneficial uses: a. High salinity waste streams such as water softener regenerating solution, boiler blowdown, evaporative cooling system waste, and stillage waste must be segregated and stored separately in an engineered tank system for off-site disposal at an appropriately permitted facility (they cannot be applied to land). These waste streams account for most of the excess salinity in food processing waste. b. This Order applies only to: i. Wineries that crush less than 80 tons of grapes per year or discharge less than 100,000 gallons of wastewater per year to land, and ii. Other small food processors (e.g., fruit dehydrators, walnut hullers, seed and nut processors, olive oil processors, etc.) that discharge less than 100,000 gallons of wastewater per year to land. A winery crushing 80 tons of grapes will usually generate between 27,000 and 121,000 gallons of wastewater.