State Water Resources Control Board video explains how to submit sanitary sewer service area boundaries
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Summary
An instructional video from the State Water Resources Control Board walks utilities and consultants through required geospatial boundary submissions, deadlines (existing enrollees due 12/31/2025), acceptable GIS file formats, and the difference between uploading and certifying roles.
An instructional video from the State Water Resources Control Board explains how sanitary sewer service area boundaries must be submitted as geospatial files and certified by a legally responsible official (LRO). The video outlines required content, acceptable file formats and key deadlines for existing and new enrollees.
The video, presented by an unidentified narrator, notes: "When submitting the boundary, the service area, not the utility map, is required to be submitted." It cites General Order 2022010 and DWQ section 5.14 as the regulatory basis and refers to Attachment E1, section 3.8 for content requirements.
Why it matters: utilities enrolled under the General Order must provide a clear, georeferenced service area so the State Water Resources Control Board can track which wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) accept each system's waste. According to the narrator, "Per attachment e 1, section 3.8, the boundary must include the location of wastewater treatment facilities that treat the sewer system waste if in the same sewer service boundary." The board's timeline for compliance is strict: "For existing enrollees, the boundary submission is due by 12/31/2025. New enrollees must certify and submit the boundary within 12 months of the application for enrollment approval date." Updates required after changes must be filed by the next annual-report due date (April 1).
What the video instructs users to do: log in to the sanitary sewer system boundary submittal tool on the State Water Resources Control Board website (CWICs credentials are required), upload a GIS file (zipped shapefile, KML, or KMZ), and allow the portal to validate the file. The narrator explains the upload flow: once validated, "the service boundary appears atop the map" and users should click next to verify WWTP locations associated with the uploaded boundary.
On verification and certification, the video distinguishes roles: "Regardless of who uploads the boundary, it must be certified by an LRO." A data submitter or consultant may upload files and mark WWTPs as confirmed or pending, but the certify button is disabled for non-LRO accounts; after upload the data submitter must notify the LRO that the boundary is ready for certification.
The video also addresses common issues: confirmed WWTP map points turn blue; pending points remain yellow. If a WWTP number or coordinates are missing from the most recent certified annual report or are not available in CIWQS, the tool links users to the specified annual report so they can resolve the discrepancy before certification.
Additional resources and support are noted: the video points viewers to the General Order compliance tools tab on the State Water Resources Control Board website for guidance documents and additional training videos and to the sanitary sewer help desk contact shown within the portal for specific questions. The video closes with credits naming Summit Partners, regional sanitation associations, and Ridgecresta Learning and Development.
Next steps: utilities that are existing enrollees should prepare and validate GIS boundary files ahead of the 12/31/2025 deadline and coordinate with their LRO to complete certification. The State Water Resources Control Board's sanitary sewer submittal portal contains the tools and links referenced in the video.