Rio Rancho City - Authorization for Pollution Discharge Elimination System, Permit Number: NM0027987
The City of Rio Rancho's Utility Operation Division has applied for authorization under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This authorization, if granted, will govern the division's discharge of wastewater into a specific receiving water body in New Mexico.
The permit, once issued, will specify the exact location of the treatment facility or discharge point within Rio Rancho's jurisdiction. This location will typically be a public wastewater treatment or stormwater facility.
The discharge will be authorized into a specific receiving water body, which could be a river, stream, or arroyo. The permit ensures that the discharge will not violate the state water quality standards applicable to this water body.
The permit will include several conditions and requirements. For instance, the discharge must comply with effluent limits, which are specific pollutant concentration or load limits that cannot be exceeded. Regular sampling of the effluent and receiving water will be required to verify compliance.
The permit will also mandate the submission of discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) to regulators. Furthermore, the contractor or operator must meet minimum standards set by the local City NPDES permit.
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 drafts such NPDES permits, including those for discharges in New Mexico, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) reviews and issues a 401 Certification to ensure discharges meet state water quality standards. The City of Rio Rancho’s discharge authorization would follow this regulatory framework.
Although specific permit number or explicit discharge location details for the City of Rio Rancho are not readily available, the framework described here applies generally to NPDES permits in New Mexico for municipal discharges.
For precise permit conditions related to Rio Rancho, including the specific facility address, receiving water name, and detailed discharge limits, consulting the official NPDES permit documents issued by EPA Region 6 and NMED’s 401 Certifications is necessary. Public notices for such permits are typically available via the New Mexico Environment Department’s Surface Water Quality Bureau.
[1] Local NPDES permit: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/local-npdes-permit-program [3] 20.6.2.2001 NMAC: https://www.nmstatutes.com/ViewDocument?P=A\&S=20&Ch=6&Sl=2&Lng=1&V=2001 [5] New Mexico Environment Department’s Surface Water Quality Bureau: https://www.env.nm.gov/swqb/
- The water discharged from Rio Rancho's Utility Operation Division, once the NPDES permit is issued, may have specific limitations in terms of pollutant concentrations to protect the health-and-wellness of the community and the environment, as part of the science-backed regulations for climate-change mitigation and environmental-science.
- The discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) required under the NPDES permit for the City of Rio Rancho's wastewater treatment facilities will provide valuable data for maintaining the quality of the receiving water body and ensuring its continued suitability for purposes such as drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life, complying with both federal and state water quality standards.
