Antos, Michael Austin
Environment M1CW
7 June 2015
Los Angles Regional Water Quality Control Board
The Los Angles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) is one of the nine Regional Boards under the State Water Resource Control Board. The State Water Board was created by the State Legislature in order to protect water quality and best allocate water uses in the State. It supports Regional Boards’ works, and also reviews the petitions against Regional Boards’ actions (Lauffer, 2013). LARWQCB as a water resource management agency does not necessarily “moves” water, but it controls and monitors water quality through its authority. I would like to briefly discuss the organization and structure of the agency in order to analyze …show more content…
The Regional Boards’ goal is to develop water quality objectives and plans that best ensure the beneficial uses of waters of the State. Regional boards must consider the local differences in climate, geology and hydrology as well in order to implement the appropriate and reasonable plans. The mission of LARWQCB is to “preserve and enhance water quality in the Los Angeles Region for the benefit of present and future generations” (“The Mission,” n.d.). Its activities include updating water quality control plans, enforcing waste discharge requirements, regulating already contaminated areas, educating the public on the importance of water quality, and cooperating with other agencies and organizations to solve water …show more content…
The order No. R4-2014-0060 (NPDES No. CAG994003) is a waste discharge requirement permit for discharge of non-process wastewater to surface water in coastal watershed of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It covers discharges of “noncontact cooling water, boiler blowdown, air conditioning condensate, water treatment plant filter backwash, swimming pool drainage, groundwater seepage, and swimming pool filter backwash water” to surfaces water (Waste Discharge, 2014). Such discharges originally have the potential to cause an excursion above the water quality objectives, and lead to sudden or chronic toxicity in state water, because the wastewater may be polluted by contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. In conclusion, discharge of non-process wastewater may threaten existing beneficial surface