Fee Schedule for Water Quality Permits
The following fee schedule is based on the General Assembly of North Carolina, Session Law 2023-124, Section 12.14(a), which amends N.C.G.S. § 143-215.3D.
Checks may be made payable to NC DEQ.
Water Quality Permit Fees Update October 2023 PDF
CATEGORY A
| ACTIVITY See Notes 1,2 | NEW PERMIT APPLICATION FEE/ANNUAL FEE | MAJOR MODIFICATION FEE See Note 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Major Individual NPDES Permits | $4,625 | $1,387 |
| Minor Individual NPDES Permits | $1,150 | $345 |
| Single Family Residences (NCG55) | $60 | N/A |
| Wastewater Discharge General Permits | $100 | N/A |
| Recycle Systems (Non-discharge) | $520 | $156 |
Non-discharge Major Permits (Includes System-wide Collection System Permits) | $1,760 | $528 |
Non-discharge Minor Permits (Includes System-wide Collection System Permits) | $1,160 | $348 |
| Animal Permits (Small Ops) | $60 | N/A |
| Animal Permits (Medium Ops) | $180 | N/A |
| Animal Permits (Large Ops) | $360 | N/A |
CATEGORY B
| ACTIVITY See Note 1 | ADDITIONAL ANNUAL FEE See Note 4 | PROJECT FEE See Note 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Special Order by Consent-Major | $500 | $400 |
| Special Order by Consent-Minor | $250 | $400 |
CATEGORY C
| ACTIVITY See Note 1 | ADDITIONAL ANNUAL FEE See Note 4 |
|---|---|
| Sewer Extensions (Includes Reclaimed Water Distribution- see Note 6 below) | $600 |
| Water Quality Certifications-Major | $767 |
| Water Quality Certifications-Minor | $323 |
| Petroleum Contaminated Soils | $480 |
MISCELLANEOUS
| ACTIVITY | PROJECT FEE |
|---|---|
| Permit Renewal | Covered under annual fees |
Authorization to Construct *(For more explanation, see Note 5 below the chart) | $1000 |
| Minor Permit Modification | No Fee |
| Variances - Sewer | $600 |
NOTES:
- Refer to the definitions chart below for specific descriptions of each activity category.
- For new permit requests, refer to the definitions page for specific descriptions of each activity category.
- A major modification shall be defined as one that increases the volume, increases the pollutant load, results in a significant relocation of the discharge point, or results in a change in the characteristics of the waste generated. This fee is non-refundable if the permit request is denied.
- Special order of consent fees shall be in addition to the associated annual permit fee.
- Authorization to construct application fees are for a wastewater treatment plant expansion, upgrade, replacement, or repair.
- Reclaimed Water Distribution is for distribution lines only, and does not include reclaimed water generation sources and end uses.
Definitions of Permitted Activities
| Individual NPDES (Major) | >= 1.0 million gallons per day. Industries with high toxic potential; municipalities with pretreatment programs; municipal stormwater permits. |
| Individual NPDES (Minor) | < 1.0 million gallons per day. Industries with low toxic potential; municipalities; small domestic waste facilities; industrial stormwater permits. |
| Single Family Residences | All individual systems are covered under NPDES General Permit Number NCG550000, and non-discharge single-family residential systems. |
| Wastewater Discharge General Permits | Facilities covered under statewide General NPDES Permits. Common examples include: mine dewatering, cooling water, vehicle maintenance activities, etc. |
| Recycle Systems | Must be a complete closed-loop recycle system. |
| Animal Permits (Small) | 38,500 to 99,999 Steady State Live Weight |
| Animal Permits (Medium) | 100,000 to 799,999 Steady State Live Weight |
| Animal Permits (Large) | > 800,000 Steady State Live Weight |
| Non-discharge Permits (Major) | > 10,000 gallons per day or > 300 acres of land required. |
| Non-discharge Permits (Minor) | 100,000 to 799,999 Steady State Live Weight |
| Special Order by Consent (Major) | Refer to Category B described above for Major facilities. |
| Special Order by Consent (Minor) | Refer to Category B described above for Minor facilities. |
| Sewer Extensions | Collection system construction or extension to an existing system. |
| Water Quality Certifications (Major) | > 1.0 acre wetland fill, > 150 feet stream impacts |
| Water Quality Certifications (Minor) | < 1.0 acre wetland fill, < 150 feet stream impacts |
| Petroleum Contaminated Soils | Removal, treatment, and disposal of petroleum-contaminated soils. |
This page was last modified on 10/03/2023