Temporary
Discharge Permits

Any project, no matter the size, that plans to discharge water to surface waters of the state requires coverage under the General Surface Water Discharge Permit for Temporary Discharge Activities (General Permit). The General Permit is meant for projects where the discharge will occur for one year or less and is relatively uncontaminated waters. Projects that will discharge for longer than one year, or which will have recurring yearly discharges, will need to apply for coverage under an alternative discharge permit, which can be found on the Surface Water Discharge Permits webpage.

The following are examples of discharges covered under this General Permit:

  • Construction dewatering
  • Hydrostatic testing
  • Pump testing of water wells
  • Discharging petroleum contaminated ground water
  • Discharging groundwater with other contaminants
  • Other short-term discharges of relatively uncontaminated water

Please make sure to read through the permit and contact the Stormwater Team with any questions or concerns. To obtain coverage under the Temporary Discharge Permit, a Notice of Intent must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the start of the dewatering project. If you are already dewatering, please submit your application immediately. Please make sure to reach out to the city, if you are within city limits, or the county to verify any additional requirements.

If you have an active stormwater permit for construction activities for a project, please visit the Stormwater Construction page to determine what information is needed to add temporary discharge activities to your current stormwater construction permit. This does not apply if you will be doing hydrostatic testing.

  • General Permit 2018 for Temporary Discharges (Administratively continued as of April 1, 2023)
  • Notice of Intent (application form)- Must be signed by the project owner or an authorized representative.
    Complete Online and Print
  • Notice of Termination- Must be submitted within 30 calendar days of meeting one of the stabilization requirements listed in Section 2.11 of the General Permit.
    Complete Online and Print
  • Projects already covered under the General Permit Authorizing Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities can add temporary discharge information directly in the CDX portal. Please visit the Stormwater Permit for Construction Activities webpage for information on accessing the portal.

Pollution Prevention Plan - You may develop and implement a Pollution Prevention Plan in lieu of sampling for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and/or Total Residual Chlorine (TRC). The plan must detail the Best Management Practices (BMPs) you will use to reduce or eliminate any discharge of pollutants and include a site description and site map in accordance with Section 4.0 of the General Permit.

Stormwater Team Contact Information:

Form Submission Information (Choose one option):

  • Mail form to:

    • Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources
      Water Quality - Stormwater Team
      523 E Capitol Ave
      Pierre SD 57501

  • Electronic Form Submission:
    •        stormwater@state.sd.us