General Permit for Discharges from Tanks, Pipes, Other Containment Structures, Dewatering Activities, and Groundwater Remediation - Maryland General Permit No. 17-HT
NOTICE - Tentative Determination Draft Published
The Department proposes to reissue the State/NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination system) 17HT as the new 25HT. The 25HT permit applies to discharges from Tanks, Pipes, Other Liquid Containment Structures, Dewatering Activities, and Groundwater Remediation.
The draft permit and fact sheet, which includes a detailed summary of proposed changes, are available below.
The public comment period will be open starting on June 27, 2026, and will end on August 13, 2026. A hybrid public hearing will be held on July 27, 2026, beginning at 4:00 PM. The in-person hearing will be held in the Owings Mills Meeting Room at the Owings Mills Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, located at the County Campus Metro Center at Owings Mills, 10302 Grand Central Avenue, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117.
The virtual event may be joined via Google Meet. To participate online, you MUST register using the following link: https://mdewwp.page.link/PublicMeetings.
If you would like to provide written comments, please submit them to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water Management Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Ste. 455, Baltimore, MD 21230-1708, Attn: Jonathan Rice, Industrial and General Permits Division, or by email at [email protected]. Comments must be submitted on or before August 13, 2026, by 5:00 PM.
New Online Service Center
The Department now has the online Environmental Service Center, which applicants can use to easily submit new NOIs, modification requests, notice of terminations, and pay permit fees.
It should be noted that at this time, all permittees, regardless of what type of submission they make through the system, will need to sign and mail in a Signature Card, which can be found below:
Change in Required Documentation
In recognition that the permit is beyond its five-year term, and in recognition that NPDES permits have a maximum duration of five years, the Department is discontinuing the acceptance of new registrations under permit 17-HT. Proposed new discharges from tanks, pipes, other containment structures, dewatering activities, and groundwater remediation (at facilities other than oil terminals) will not be allowed to obtain general permit coverage until a new permit is issued.
In place of permit coverage under the expired permit, the Department has issued an Order to cover proposed new discharges from tanks, pipes, other containment structures, dewatering activities, and groundwater remediation (at facilities other than oil terminals) if an applicant meets the 17-HT eligibility criteria and declares intention to operate in accordance with the terms of the Consent Order and 17-HT. The applicant should submit a Declaration of Intent and complete the registration/certification process in accordance with the requirements otherwise set forth for registrations under permit 17-HT.
Note that existing registrations under the General Permit 17-HT continue to be covered under the existing administratively extended permit (per the terms of the permit). Please check back here for updates as progress is made towards that end or sign up for our newsletter. Once a draft of the new permit has been proposed, a public participation process will commence and the Department will take comments prior to arriving at a final permit. All existing registrants will be notified when a tentative determination is published.
If you are already registered under the 17HT, please make sure your contact information is up to date with the Department so that you may receive notices and updates when the 25HT is open for applications. You may contact [email protected] with any questions or comments regarding the upcoming permit renewal.
Permit Training
The Department offers
free training opportunities for several of its general permits. Visit the
WPPRP Training Website to sign up for an upcoming training event or to download information from past training events.
17-HT Permit Information
The 17-HT general permit became effective on August 1, 2020.
Permit
Forms
Supplemental Information
Contact Info
If you have additional questions or would like more information, please contact the Wastewater Permits Program, Industrial & General Discharge Permits Division at 410-537-3323.
Previous Permit (11-HT)
Additional Information and Related Links
