{"abstract":"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing this final regulation that requires the electronic reporting and sharing of Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program information instead of the current paper-based reporting of this information. This action will save time and resources for permittees, states, tribes, territories, and the U.S. Government while increasing data accuracy, improving compliance, and supporting EPA's goal of providing better protection of the nation's waters. By modernizing this Clean Water Act reporting program, permittees and regulators will use existing, available information technology to electronically report information and data related to the NPDES permit program. This regulation will help provide greater clarity on who is and who is not in compliance and enhances transparency by providing a timelier, complete, more accurate, and nationally-consistent set of data about the NPDES program. By providing improved data in a more accessible form, this final rulemaking will improve the ability of EPA and authorized NPDES programs to target the most serious water quality and compliance problems. Furthermore, by reducing the time and resources devoted to outdated data management activities, the rule could allow authorized NPDES programs to shift limited resources to important water quality and public health protection activities. The transition from paper to electronic reporting will require close coordination and cooperation between EPA and authorized NPDES programs. This regulation provides important flexibility while still implementing electronic reporting in a timely and effective fashion.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2015/10/22/2015-24954.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":9,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":122,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":123,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":124,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":127,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":403,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":501,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":503,"title":40}],"citation":"80 FR 64064","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"The final rule is effective on December 21, 2015. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this rule was approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of February 7, 2000. In accordance with 40 CFR part 23, this regulation shall be considered issued for purposes of judicial review at 1 p.m. Eastern time on November 5, 2015. The start dates for electronic reporting are provided in 40 CFR 127.16.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274","FRL-9930-70-OECA"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2015-24954","effective_on":"2015-12-21","end_page":64158,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2015/10/22/2015-24954.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/10/22/2015-24954/national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-npdes-electronic-reporting-rule","images":{"ER22OC15.000":{"large":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER22OC15.000/ER22OC15.000_large.png","original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER22OC15.000/ER22OC15.000_original_size.png"}},"images_metadata":{"ER22OC15.000":{"large":{"identifier":"ER22OC15.000","content_type":"image/png","size":42137,"width":822,"sha":"e11831003ac1d79fedce2936b9a7879f","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER22OC15.000/ER22OC15.000_large.png","height":495},"original_size":{"identifier":"ER22OC15.000","content_type":"image/png","size":204889,"width":4333,"sha":"ea9cfb007bcb4ad3c09b70506e353e17","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER22OC15.000/ER22OC15.000_original_size.png","height":2610}}},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2015-24954?publication_date=2015-10-22","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2015-10-22/2015-24954/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":95,"page_views":{"count":21089,"last_updated":"2026-07-26 06:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-10-22/pdf/2015-24954.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2015-24954.pdf?1445431521","publication_date":"2015-10-22","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2015/10/22/2015-24954.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2020-AA47":{"issue":"201504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2020-AA47/npdes-electronic-reporting-rule","title":"NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201504&RIN=2020-AA47&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2020-AA47"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"User Guide to NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule Docket (Final Rule) [DCN 0184]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0576"},{"title":"Comment Response Document for the NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule (Final Rule) [DCN 0218]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0575"},{"title":"Appendix A to Part 127 (Excel Spreadsheet Version) [DCN 0200]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0574"},{"title":"Appendix A to Part 127 (Word Version) [DCN 0190]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0573"},{"title":"EPA Letter to Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) [DCN 0238]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0572"},{"title":"NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule Information Collection Request - Submission to OMB [DCN 0237]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0571"},{"title":"EPA Needs to Track Whether Its Major Municipal Settlements for Combined Sewer Overflows Benefit Water Quality [DCN 0236]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0570"},{"title":"NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule: Presentation to Association of General Contractors (2 September 2015 - Arlington, VA) [DCN 0235]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0569"},{"title":"Economic Spreadsheet Model for NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule [DCN 0234]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0568"},{"title":"Attacking Sanitary Sewer Overflows [DCN 0233]","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274-0567"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2020-AA47/npdes-electronic-reporting-rule","title":"NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274","supporting_documents_count":333,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OECA-2009-0274","regulation_id_number":"2020-AA47","title":"National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2015-11-11T06:00:14Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":64064,"subtype":null,"title":"National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule","toc_doc":"National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Electronic Reporting","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Air pollution control","Confidential business information","Environmental protection","Hazardous substances","Hazardous waste","Incorporation by reference","Indians-lands","Intergovernmental relations","Penalties","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Sewage disposal","Waste treatment and disposal","Water pollution control","Water supply"],"type":"Rule","volume":80}