Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Notice of Withdrawal Draft Comprehensive General Permit for Discharges to Surface and Ground Water -7/15/26

Notice of Withdrawal
Draft Comprehensive General Permit for Discharges to Surface and
Ground Water

1.0 Withdrawal of Notice of Tentative Determination
The Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) hereby gives notice that the Draft Comprehensive General Permit for Discharges to Surface and Ground Water (the “General Permit”) under the authority of sections 22a-430 and 22a-430b of the Connecticut General Statutes (“CGS”) noticed on December 24, 2025 is withdrawn. The Commissioner previously published timely notice of the intent to renew the General Permit in accordance with section 22a-6aa of the CGS, as amended by Public Act 25-84.

2.0 Commissioner’s Findings
The current General Permit was issued on April 1, 2023, and shall remain in effect until a new general
permit is issued. The Commissioner issued timely Notice of Tentative Determination on September 18, 2024. In response to public comments, Department staff withdrew the September 18, 2024 Notice of Tentative Determination, revised the draft General Permit and, on December 24, 2025, issued a second Notice of Tentative Determination regarding the General Permit. The December 24, 2025 Notice of Tentative Determination is withdrawn by this notice. The current General Permit remains in effect until a new
general permit is issued or the Commissioner determines not to issue a new general permit.

On June 4, 2026, Governor Lamont signed Public Act 26-124 (formerly House Bill 5153), which amended
the definition of “potable water system maintenance or sampling wastewater” for discharges from public
and private drinking water treatment systems to include periodic hydrant flushing in section 10 of the Public Act. Because this section of Public Act 26-124 took effect upon passage, the Department is withdrawing
the December 24, 2025 Notice of Tentative Determination and will revise and reissue the draft General Permit to conform to the new statutory requirements. The revised draft General Permit will include the changes necessary to implement the applicable provisions of Public Act 26-124, as well as ministerial corrections.
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​All comments submitted in response to the December 24, 2025 Notice of Tentative Determination will be retained in the administrative record for the subsequent notice of the revised draft General Permit. Interim permit coverage for permittees under the current general permit will be maintained until further notice.

3.0 General Permit Regulatory Conditions
​The General Permit authorizes the discharge of non-contact cooling water, water treatment wastewater, hydrostatic pressure testing of natural gas, petroleum tanks, and pipeline wastewater, fire suppression system testing water, hydrant flushing wastewater, boiler blowdown water, geothermal heat pump water,
​and pressure washing wastewater to surface waters and ground waters of the state of Connecticut,
provided such discharges are conducted in compliance with all applicable terms, conditions, and requirements of this General Permit. Any discharge of water, substance, or material into the waters of
the state other than the ones specified in the General Permit are not authorized by this General Permit.

4.0 Commissioner’s Authority
The Commissioner is authorized to issue a general permit pursuant to sections 22a-430 and 22a-430b
of the CGS. The Commissioner is authorized to approve or deny any registration under this general permit pursuant to CGS section 22a-430b.

/s/Emma Cimino
Acting Commissioner