Albany County, NY Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

SPDES Program Overview New York is rich in surface and groundwater resources. Article 17 titled "Water Pollution Control" of the 6 NYCRR PART 750 Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) was enacted to protect and maintain these valuable resources. Article 17 authorized creation of the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) program to maintain New York's waters with reasonable standards of purity. The SPDES program is designed to eliminate the pollution of New York waters and to maintain the highest quality of water possible, consistent with: Public health. Public enjoyment of the resource. Protection and propagation of fish and wildlife. Industrial development in the state. New York's SPDES program has been approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the control of surface wastewater and stormwater discharges in accordance with the Clean Water Act; however, the SPDES program is broader in scope than that required by the Clean Water Act as it controls point source discharges to groundwaters as well as surface waters. Determine if you need a permit Regulated Activities New York State law requires a permit for: Constructing or using an outlet or discharge pipe (referred to as a "point source") that discharges wastewater into the surface waters or ground waters of the state. Constructing or operating a disposal system such as a sewage treatment plant. Do Not Start a Project Before Obtaining a Permit You must obtain all necessary permits before commencing work on a project that requires any DEC permit. Persons commencing work on such a project before obtaining the required permits, and any contractors engaged in such work, are subject to enforcement action by the DEC.