Workshop Topic Survey

Please help ACWA identify potential presentations for the upcoming 2026 National NPDES Program Efficiency Workshop. One reason this meeting is being held virtually is to encourage states/EPA to share their program successes, and where needed, allow related program staff, contractors, vendors, etc. to be part of the presentation team. While the meeting itself is closed to non-regulators, individual presentations can be supported as each state/regulatory agency deems appropriate.

The 2026 National NPDES Program Efficiency Workshop is intended to support implementation of EPA and state NPDES permitting programs nationwide by highlighting administrative efficiencies, sharing best management practices, showcasing innovative federal and state programs, improving data quality, highlighting new approaches and technologies, facilitating coregulator collaborations and identifying challenges and barriers. Program areas to be considered for the workshop include jurisdictional determination, permit application, public process, permit issuance, monitoring and reporting, data management, compliance monitoring, inspections, violations and response, enforcement, and oversight.

There are 15 survey questions. You are not required to answer all of them but please consider that some program elements that you might have been doing for a while could be an important program efficiency others could learn from and apply.

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1. What is your name?

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2. What is your email address?

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3. Please indicate which state/interstate/territory/agency you represent.

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4. NPDES Permit Needed
Does your state use any tools to determine if an unpermitted discharge goes to a WOTUS?

Does your state use any technologies or tools to identify dischargers in need of an NPDES permit?

Does your state use any technologies or tools to assist with a “No Exposure” determination for industrial stormwater?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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5. Applications/Notices of Intent
Does your state have an electronic application/NOI process that captures/compares data submitted in the application/NOI for later use in permit drafting or program management?

Does your state’s application process automate any activities associated with ensuring application completeness?

Does your state use any automated tools to communicate with the permit applicant, providing status updates?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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6. Permit Drafting/Renewal
Does your state use any electronic tools (e.g. templates, spreadsheets, etc.) to assist with doing calculations/analysis for permit drafting?

Does your state use any tools/technologies to help with pollutant identification outside the application?

Does your state use any automated processes to assist with TBELs or WQBELs in the permit?

Does your state use any technologies like AI to help draft the NPDES permit?

Does your state use technology to help develop a Fact Sheet or pull information from the Fact Sheet to include in the draft permit or public notice?

Does your state use tools or technology to manage schedules?

Has you state done anything specific that has helped you reduce your backlog?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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7. Public Participation
Does your state use any technologies/tools to assist with the public participation process?

Does your state use technology to capture public comments?

Does your state use technology to help organize and/or respond to public comments?

Does your state have any lessons learned for improving transparency and to help engage the public?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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8. Monitoring and Reporting
Does your state use any tools or technology to help determine monitoring/reporting frequency, duration, intensity, location, pollutant type, etc.?

Does your state have any tools or technologies that help you make decisions to reduce burden on the permittee for monitoring and/or reporting?

Is your state fully implementing the NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule?

Does your state use a progressive monitoring/reporting approach for any of your permits?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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9. Data Systems
Does your data system work and play well with ICIS? Have you done anything in the last two years to improve communication between the data systems?

Does your data system provide analysis or automate any steps that have reduced burden or saved resources?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your data systems?

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10. Compliance Monitoring and Inspections
Does your state use technology or tools to help target traditional inspections?

Does your state use any offsite compliance activities to help meet obligations, streamline the program, or help target resources, or for other reasons?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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11. Violations and Response
Does your state have any automatic or prebuilt compliance assistance tools that help keep a facility in compliance or help them return to compliance quicker?

Does your state have tools or technology that help identify violations?

Does your state use any communications tools or technologies to automate a response to a violation?

Does your state score/prioritize violations and/or use technology to determine/prioritize an appropriate compliance response?

Does your state have any automatic, prebuilt, or expedited enforcement tools or ticketing systems?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your process?

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12. NPDES Program Oversight
Does your EPA Region have any real-time review efficiencies associated with draft permits, violations, or violation response that you believe is worthy of sharing/discussing?

Does your EPA Region consistently implement the State Review Framework in such a way that appears efficient and provides you, the permitting authority, a valuable service?

Does your EPA Region consistently implement the Permit Quality Review in such a way that appears efficient and provides you, the permitting authority, a valuable service?

Does your state have any policies you believe help streamline or simplify your role in these oversight processes?

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13. Other Topics
Is your state exploring opportunities to improve the efficiency of the NPDES program in any other way? If so, what areas are you focusing on first?

Has your state recently leaned in on a customer centric approach to the NPDES program? Have there been any lessons learned?

Has your state identified any best practices to reduce or avoid permit appeals and other litigation?

Is your state using any technology that has made your entire program easier to implement and more efficient?

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14. Is your state currently exploring or piloting any artificial intelligence initiatives that might impact the NPDES program?

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15. Are there any other topics you would like to see covered at this meeting?

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