On June 19, 2012, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted the Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS Policy). The OWTS Policy provides criteria for siting, design, operation and maintenance of onsite systems and provides a conditional waiver for onsite systems that comply with the policy. The OWTS Policy is available at the following link: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/index.shtml. Applicable state-wide, the OWTS Policy designates regional boards with principal responsibility for overseeing its implementation and calls for incorporation of the OWTS Policy requirements into regions' basin plans within a year of the policy's effective date.

At its May 30-31, 2013 meeting, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R3-2013-0005 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin (Basin Plan) to incorporate the OWTS Policy. This Basin Plan amendment revises sections of the Basin Plan to delete redundant or conflicting onsite wastewater systems criteria and incorporates by reference the provisions of the OWTS Policy.

A clarifying paragraph is added to the existing Santa Cruz County waste discharge prohibition to require the County of Santa Cruz to submit a Local Agency Management Program and annual reports consistent with the OWTS Policy in lieu of submitting annual reports under the Wastewater Management Plan for the San Lorenzo River Watershed.

A paragraph that was inadvertently omitted from the current Basin Plan is restored to the existing Los Osos/Baywood Park waste discharge prohibition. The paragraph was originally adopted in 1983 by Resolution R3-83-13 and pertains to consequences of failing to comply with (now-expired) compliance dates.