ADEQ recommends a pre-application meeting before submitting an application to help applicants prepare an application that can be reviewed quickly. | Download Pre-application meeting request form >

Application Requirements

• Completed application form | View Application >
• Engineering and hydrogeologic reports
• Closure cost estimate and closure plan
• Contingency plan
• Financial assurance documentation
• Demonstration of technical capability (e.g., certified operator)

What Happens After ADEQ Receives a Permit Application?

DEQ reviews Individual APP permit applications to ensure facilities protect groundwater quality. Below is a high-level overview of the process that happens after ADEQ receives an Individual APP permit application

Completeness Verification: ADEQ reviews the application for completeness, including engineering, hydrogeologic, and closure information, and requests additional information if necessary.

Technical Review: Once the application is complete, ADEQ conducts a detailed technical review to evaluate facility design, treatment systems, and potential groundwater impacts. This includes assessing compliance with aquifer water quality standards and the use of best available demonstrated control technology.

Draft Permit and Public Notice: If the application meets legal requirements, ADEQ prepares a draft permit for the applicant to review and issues a public notice. This provides an opportunity for public comment, and a public hearing may be held if necessary.

Final Decision: After considering technical information and public input, and making any modifications to the draft permit that may be prudent and necessary, ADEQ makes a final decision to either issue or deny the permit.

For each amendment type the agency has specific time requirements to review the application and grant the APP permit. The timeframe for each review period is listed below in business days:

Groundwater Individual permits, including the Individual APP permit, are subject to:

• Hourly fees
• Maximum fee caps
• Annual fees

* Fees increase annually. Please reference the Groundwater Individual Fees webpage for the latest information. | View Fees >

Changes to the facility may require a permit amendment. 

Types of Amendments

Significant Amendment

A significant amendment requires a public comment period. Examples of these types of amendments include, but are not limited to:

• Part or all of the facility becomes a new facility 
• Physical changes in the facility or changes in the operational method resulting in an increase in permitted volume based on the facility type and size:

• Facility can no longer comply with ARS 49-243 (B)(2) or (3)
• Permittee requests less stringent monitoring that reduces monitoring frequency, reporting frequency, or the number of pollutants monitored
• Change of the designated point of compliance
• Updates to BADCT
• Permittee requests less stringent discharge limitations
• Major closure or post-closure changes 

Real World Examples of Significant Amendments

• Increasing the flow of the facility from 70,000 gallons per day (GPD) to 90,000 GPD This is a 28.57% increase
• Changing the technology of the wastewater treatment facility by converting from an activated sludge plant to a new membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment system 
• Changing from ultraviolet disinfection to chlorine disinfection

Minor Amendment 

A minor amendment tends to be small technical or administrative updates such as: 

• Fixing a typo in a permit 
• Correcting technical errors 
• Adding calculated Alert Levels (ALs), Aquifer Quality Limits (AQLs), or other monitoring requirements 
• Increasing the monitoring or reporting frequency 
• Revising the laboratory method 

Other Amendment

Moderate changes that do not meet “significant thresholds" are classified as Other Amendments. Examples of other amendments include: 

• Permit ownership transfer 
• Equipment replacement like-for-like
• Change in construction requirement, treatment method, or operational practice such as adding or removing discharge locations and/or upgrades to treatment system equipment with no change to flow or discharge 
• Updates to closure cost estimates and/or the financial assurance mechanism 
• Minor increases to discharges — less than that described in subsection (B)(2)(a) or (b) for a significant amendment
• Adjustment of permit to conform to rule or statutory provisions such as Aquifer Water Quality Standards (AWQS)permit update  

If ownership changes:

• Notify ADEQ within 15 days | Preapplication meeting form
• Submit:
  • Names of current and new owners
  • Facility information
  • Transfer agreement
  • Signed statement accepting permit terms
  • Financial Assurance for new owner
  • Pay applicable fees.

Permit transfers are processed as an Other Amendment.