NEW Ohio Statewide Draft for General NPDES permit for water discharges from data center facilities.

Name: NEW Ohio Statewide Draft for General NPDES permit for water discharges from data center facilities.
Start: 2025-12-17T14:30:00-05:00
Location: 50 West Town Street, Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Schedule

Wed, 17 Dec, 2025 at 02:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

50 West Town Street, Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | Columbus, OH

Draft General Permit -OHD000001
The EPA is seeking comments regarding a permit that will cover data center facility operations that discharge wastewater and stormwater.

The NPDES General Permit for Discharges from Data Center Facilities (Permit No. OHD000001) is a first time issuance and would cover data center facility operations that discharge to waters of the state. Both wastewater and stormwater from the data center facility are proposed for coverage under this permit. Wastewater discharges include non-contact cooling waters (once through or re-circulated water that does not come into contact with the process operations of a facility and is used only to convey heat from the facility), low volume wastewaters (such as, cooling tower blowdown, boiler blowdown, and air compressor condensate yet excludes some waste streams like sanitary wastes) and stormwater associated with the industrial
activities from the site.
The permit identifies who can be covered, how an entity obtains coverage, and how a permittee terminates coverage. The permit includes reporting requirements for all facilities. The public notice, associated fact sheet and draft general permit are available at https://epa.ohio.gov/divisions-and-offices/surface-water/permitting/wastewater-discharges-from-data-centers--general-permit or by contacting Allison Cycyk at 330-963-1132 or via email at [email protected].
The Ohio EPA will be holding an in-person and virtual information session and public hearing on the new draft general permit on Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. You may attend in person, virtually, or submit comments online.
IN PERSON: The in-person public hearing will be located at the Ohio EPA Lazarus Government Center, 6th Floor Conference Room A (Autumn Room), 50 West Town Street, Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The public hearing will end when everyone in attendance has had an opportunity to provide comments related to the draft general permit. To facilitate the scheduling of in-person oral testimony, persons intending to give testimony in-person at the hearing should notify the Ohio EPA Public Interest Center at [email protected] or (614) 644-2160.
VIRTUAL: Persons who want to participate virtually for the information session and hearing must register in advance at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/921004166332343646
SUBMIT COMMENTS ONLINE: In lieu of, or in addition to, attending the public hearing, written comments may be submitted via Ohio EPAʼs online comment portal https://ohioepa.commentinput.com/?id=csDN8pRrg
and will be accepted through December 17, 2025. The processing of this general permit and associated Notices of Intent for coverage is and will be done in accordance with Ohio's NPDES general permit rules, OAC 3745-38.

WHERE: Ohio EPA Lazarus Government Center, 6th Floor Conference Room A (Autumn Room), 50 West Town Street, Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43215. See below for options. Allow time to park and walk to the location.