Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other activities. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. In most cases, the NPDES permit program is administered by authorized states like Georgia. Since its introduction in 1972, the NPDES permit program is responsible for significant improvements to our Nation's water quality. 

Learn more about the   NPDES program and permits authorized by the Clean Water Act and delegated to Newton County as the Local Issuing Authority (LIA).

 View Newton County's  Inspection Flow Chart.pdf dealing with inspections, complaints and enforcement action.

Citizens of Newton County should contact Water Resources Department at (678) 625-1684 to register complaints.  To e-mail or fax a completed complaint form, download and fill out the form here and fax to us at (770) 784-2118 or e-mail the attached form to    NCWR_complaint_form.pdf

To obtain a Notice of Intent, Notice of Termination and/or Phase II MS4 Annual Report forms, click on this link for easy access.  You must have Microsoft Office Word or Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these.  Developers should access the primary permittee forms and builders should access the secondary permittee forms.

Do you suspect you may have potential state waters on your property?  Click here to begin your field determination.  As always, it is best to contact Newton County for state water identification and/or wetland delineation (Debbie Bell at 678-625-1651 or Ray Spencer at 678-625-1682) before any  land disturbance is initiated.  We encourage Newton County citizens to continue their excellent stewardship of our shared water resources.

The regulated community, i.e. builders, developers, site design professionals, consultants and  property owners not exempt under the Newton County Water Resources Management Ordinance governing Erosion and Sediment Control, are required to notify  GA EPD Watershed Protection Branch of their desire to encroach within the state of Georgia's 25 foot vegetative riparian buffer.  Failure to properly notify state and local officials of a buffer incursion can result in major setbacks for the project with regards to delayed plan review and permitting and potentially enforcement fines and permit revocation.  To download this state buffer variance form, click here.

  NPDES land disturbance fee calculations for GAR100001, GAR100002 and GAR100003 projects can be viewed here.