Section 212.03. Definitions.

  In addition to the definitions and abbreviations in ss. NR 205.03 and 205.04 , the following definitions are applicable to terms used in this subchapter:

(1)  "Baseline load" means the reference load used in distributing all or part of the total maximum load among multiple point source dischargers to a water quality limited segment.

(2)  "Categorical effluent limitation" means a point source effluent limitation for categories and classes of point sources other than publicly-owned treatment works achieved by application of the best practicable control technology currently available, the best conventional pollutant control technology, or the best available technology economically achievable as required by s. 283.13 (2) , Stats.; or means a point source effluent limitation for a publicly-owned treatment works achieved by application of secondary treatment as required by s. 283.13 (4) , Stats.

(3)  "Conventional pollutant" means those pollutants identified in section 304 (a) (4) of the federal clean water act amendments of 1977. These pollutants are: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, fecal coliform, and oil and grease.

(4)  "Cost-effective analysis" means a systematic comparison of alternative means of meeting state water quality standards, effluent limitations or other treatment standards in order to identify the alternative which will minimize the total resources costs over the appropriate planning period. These resources costs include monetary costs and environmental as well as other nonmonetary costs.

(5)  "Critical water quality conditions" means those water conditions upon which are based the most stringent water quality effluent limitations.

(5m)  "Designated management agency" means any agency designated in an areawide water quality management plan having responsibility for implementing specific plan recommendations.

(6)  "Effluent limitation" whenever used without qualification means any restriction including schedules of compliance, established by the department, on quantities, rates and concentrations of chemical, physical, biological, and other constituents which are discharged from point sources into waters of this state.

(7)  "Flow reregulation" means any practice with respect to the available surface waters in a basin that would alter the stream flows from those which would occur under existing regimes.

(8)  "Infiltration" means water other than waste water that enters a sewerage system, including sewer service connections, from the ground through such sources as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, or manholes. Infiltration does not include, and is distinguished from, inflow.

(9)  "Inflow" means water other than waste water that enters a sewerage system, including sewer service connections, from sources such as roof leaders, cellar drains, yard drains, area drains, foundation drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections between storm sewers and sanitary sewers, catch basins, cooling towers, storm waters, surface runoff, street wash waters, or drainage. Inflow does not include, and is distinguished from, infiltration.

(10)  "Instream aeration" means techniques which increase the dissolved oxygen content of a receiving water. Those techniques include, but are not limited to, mechanical aeration devices, diffuser systems, and turbine venting.

(11)  "Margin of safety" means a portion of the total maximum load which accounts for the uncertainties concerning the relationship between effluent limitations and water quality or provide a greater assurance that the water quality standards will be met. This portion of the total maximum load is not available for allocation to point sources.

(12)  "New point source", for the purposes of this subchapter, means a point source which commenced operation after January 1, 1980.

(13)  "Nonpoint source" means a source of pollution resulting from a land management activity which contributes to runoff, seepage or percolation; and which is not defined as a point source.

(14)  "Nonpoint source allocation" means that portion of the total maximum load distributed or apportioned to nonpoint sources and unavailable for allocation to point sources.

(14e)  "Off-machine production" means that quantity of paper or paperboard taken from a paper machine for further processing, conversion or sale exclusive of coating material applied after the paper machine.

(14q)  "Projected population change" means an increment of projected population change for a sewer service area pursuant to the appropriate areawide water quality management plan.

(15)  "Point source allocation" means that portion of the total maximum load distributed or apportioned to point sources.

(16)  "Publicly-owned point source" means any point source which is owned by a municipality.

(17)  "Public sector growth" means an increase in waste water discharge from any person except industrial establishments, whose waste water is treated by a publicly-owned point source.

(18)  "Reserve capacity" means that portion of the total maximum load reserved for allocation to new or expanding point sources.

(19)  "Residential growth" means an increase in population.

(20)  "Stream segment" means a portion of a stream including natural and artificial flowages.

(21)  "Total maximum load" means the maximum quantity of a pollutant or pollutants that can be discharged into a water quality limited segment over a specified period of time to maintain the applicable water quality standards. The total maximum load is the sum of the point source allocation, the nonpoint source allocation, the reserve capacity and the margin of safety.

(22)  "Wasteload allocation" means the allocation resulting from the process of distributing or apportioning the total maximum load to each individual point source discharge.

(23)  "Water quality limited segment" means any area or portion of a stream which will not meet the established water quality standard with application of only categorical effluent limitations to all point sources.

(24)  "Water quality related effluent limitation" means a point source effluent limitation designed to meet applicable water quality standards and which is more restrictive than the categorical effluent limitations. For the purposes of this subchapter, water quality related effluent limitations refer to those determined as a result of a wasteload allocation.

(25)  "Water quality standards" means administrative rules adopted as chs. NR 102 , 103 and 104 , under authority of s. 281.15 , Stats.

(26)  "WPDES permit" means a Wisconsin pollutant discharge elimination system permit for the discharge of pollutants issued by the department under ch. 283 , Stats.

History: Cr. Register, September, 1981, No. 309 , eff. 10-1-81; cr. (5m), (14e) and (14q), Register, May, 1986, No. 365 , eff. 6-1-86; CR 15-085 : am. (intro.), (3), (12), (22), (24) Register August 2016 No. 728 , eff. 9-1-16.