California Water Quality Enforcement Policy 2024 Guidance
Summary
The California State Water Resources Control Board has published the 2024 Water Quality Enforcement Policy, replacing the 2017 version. The policy provides guidance for Water Board staff on enforcement processes to address water quality violations under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. A revised penalty methodology spreadsheet accompanies the policy.
What changed
The California State Water Resources Control Board has adopted the 2024 Water Quality Enforcement Policy, updating the 2017 version with revised guidance for staff on enforcement processes and penalty calculations under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.\n\nEntities regulated by the Water Boards under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act should be aware that Water Board staff will apply the updated 2024 enforcement guidance and penalty methodology when addressing water quality violations.
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Apr 21, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Water Quality Enforcement Policy
Water Quality Enforcement Policy
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Water Boards), (collectively, the Water Boards), have primary responsibility for the coordination and control of water quality in California. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Wat. Code sections 13000 et seq.), grants the Water Boards the authority to implement and enforce water quality laws, regulations, policies, and plans to protect the underground water and surface waters of the State. The goal of the Enforcement Policy is to protect and enhance the quality of the waters of the State by defining an enforcement process that addresses water quality problems in the most fair, efficient, effective, and consistent manner. The 2024 Enforcement Policy provides guidance that enables the Water Boards staff to expend its limited resources in ways that openly address the greatest needs, deter harmful conduct, protect the public and achieve maximum water quality benefits. The Enforcement Policy addresses the enforcement component of the Water Board’s regulatory framework, which is a critical element of a successful regulatory program.
2024 Water Quality Enforcement Policy
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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from CA SWRCB.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
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