The system for regulating wastewater discharges to surface waters was created in 1972 by the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a “point source” into navigable waters unless an NPDES permit was first obtained. There are two basic types of NPDES permits: individual and general permits. An individual permit is specifically tailored to an individual facility. A general permit covers a group of dischargers with similar qualities with