C-PACE Program.

This bill amends existing wastewater regulations to allow for the discharge of treated domestic wastewater into low-flow or zero-flow surface waters, such as intermittent streams and wetlands, under specific conditions. It directly affects municipalities, businesses, and developers by establishing a new permitting process that permits discharges of up to 2 million gallons per day if the treated water has high dissolved oxygen and low biological oxygen demand. The legislation requires the Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Management Commission to develop and submit draft rules to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval by August 1, 2024. Once approved, these rules will create site-specific criteria based on flow data from the U.S. Geological Survey to ensure wastewater discharge does not harm water quality.