Water Quality Management Planning

In accordance with Section 208 of the Clean Water Act, MAG was designated by the Governor to serve as the Regional Water Quality Management Planning Agency for Maricopa County. It is in this capacity that MAG prepares the 208 Water Quality Management Plan for the region. The 208 Plan consists of two major elements: the Point Source element and the Nonpoint Source element. The Point Source element describes the preferred wastewater treatment system to serve the needs of the region over a 20 year time period. The Nonpoint Source element primarily describes regional surface and groundwater quality, and federal and state program activities designed to control nonpoint source pollution.

The MAG 208 Water Quality Management Plan is the key guiding document used by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Maricopa County in granting permits for wastewater treatment plants in the region. If a proposed facility is not included the MAG 208 Plan, the Plan may be modified through the 208 Amendment Process or the Small Plant Review and Approval Process.

In 2015, the MAG Regional Council approved the Proposal for Streamlining the MAG 208 Water Quality Management Plan Process. As part of this streamlining effort, MAG 208 Amendments are no longer required for service area expansions (a facility in one Municipal Planning Area expanding its service area to serve parts of another Municipal Planning Area). The impacted jurisdictions instead provide letters to MAG indicating that there is agreement on the service area expansion. The service area expansion is effective once the letters are received. This process is only available in cases where there are no changes to the facility that would make it inconsistent with the MAG 208 Plan, such as a capacity increase beyond what is identified in the Plan. Information on 208 Amendments, Small Plant Review and Approvals, and Service Area Expansions is provided below.