What to Expect from EPA’s 2026 Industrial Stormwater General Permit

Five-Year Permit Cycle Approaching Expiration

EPA is expected to issue the 2026 Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) at the end of February, continuing the five-year federal permitting cycle under the Clean Water Act’s NPDES program. The current MSGP, issued in 2021, is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2026. Facilities operating in areas where EPA is the permitting authority will be required to obtain coverage under the reissued permit to maintain compliance. Although most states administer their own industrial stormwater programs, EPA’s MSGP revisions often influence state permit updates during subsequent reissuance cycles.

Anticipated Updates in the 2026 MSGP

While the final permit language has not yet been released, the 2026 MSGP is expected to include several notable updates. These anticipated changes include:

• The addition of PFAS monitoring requirements for 23 industrial sectors;
• A shift for certain sectors from indicator monitoring to benchmark monitoring for parameters such as pH, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, nitrate/nitrite and select metals; and,
• Further clarification of quarterly visual assessment requirements

What Reissuance Means for Industrial Facilities

Facilities covered directly under the federal MSGP will need to review the final permit requirements, confirm continued eligibility, review and revise their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to incorporate any changes and submit a new Notice of Intent (NOI) to ensure uninterrupted authorization to discharge stormwater. In authorized states, industrial operators should closely monitor how EPA’s 2026 revisions may be incorporated into future state-issued general permits. Multi-state operators may see increasing alignment of monitoring, documentation and corrective action expectations as states evaluate the new federal framework.