The Arizona AZPDES Stormwater Permit is the state’s water pollution control authorization that lets you legally discharge stormwater from a construction site or industrial facility into Arizona’s protected surface waters. You apply for it by filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) through the myDEQ online portal, and the agency grants coverage under one of two general permits.
Most filers fall under either the Construction General Permit (AZG2020-001) for land disturbance of one acre or more, or the 2024 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for industrial sites. Getting the NOI wrong can stall your project, since ADEQ usually processes NOIs within 5 business days only when the form is complete and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is already written. Discharging without coverage can expose you to civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day under the federal Clean Water Act and Arizona Revised Statutes Title 49.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 📋 What the AZPDES NOI is, who must file it, and which of the two permits applies to you
- 🗂️ Every document and data point to gather before you open the form
- ✍️ A line-by-line walkthrough of each NOI field, with sample entries and the consequence of each mistake
- 🏗️ Three real-world filing scenarios followed start to finish
- ⚠️ The most common errors filers make and how to avoid penalties, holds, and rejections
What the AZPDES Stormwater Permit Is and Who Must File It
AZPDES stands for the Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, the state’s version of the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). ADEQ runs the program under authority delegated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Clean Water Act. The permit controls the sediment, oil, metals, and other pollutants that rain carries off a site into rivers, lakes, streams, and washes.
You must file an NOI if your activity discharges stormwater to a protected surface water and falls into one of two buckets. The first is construction: any project that disturbs one acre or more of land, or that disturbs less than one acre but is part of a larger common plan of development, needs the Construction General Permit (AZG2020-001). The second is industrial activity: facilities in one of the 29 industrial sectors — such as manufacturing, mining, and transportation — need the MSGP.
The agency that receives your form is ADEQ’s Water Quality Division. The statute that requires the permit is the Clean Water Act, carried into state law through A.R.S. Title 49 and the Arizona Administrative Code R18-9. The deadline to obtain coverage is before you begin earth-disturbing work or industrial discharge, and the penalty for skipping it can reach tens of thousands of dollars per day.
Some activities do not need a permit. For construction, ADEQ exempts interior remodeling, re-paving where the sub-grade stays undisturbed, and geotechnical or environmental projects that disturb less than one acre. For industry, a facility with no discharge to protected surface waters may instead file a No Discharge Certificate (NDC), and a facility with no industrial materials exposed to rain may file a No Exposure Certificate (NEC).
Construction General Permit vs. Multi-Sector General Permit
The two permits share the same NOI structure but cover different work. The table below shows how they differ.
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| CGP (AZG2020-001) | Covers construction that disturbs one acre or more, or smaller sites in a larger common plan |
| MSGP (2024) | Covers ongoing industrial operations in one of 29 sectors |
| CGP trigger | A start date for grading, clearing, or excavation |
| MSGP trigger | A facility that exposes industrial materials to stormwater |
| CGP coverage ends | When you file a Notice of Termination after final stabilization |
| MSGP coverage | Continues for the life of the permit term with annual reporting |
| CGP SWPPP | Focuses on erosion and sediment control during the build |
| MSGP SWPPP | Focuses on Best Management Practices for long-term operations |
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
The single biggest cause of NOI rejection is starting the form before the paperwork behind it exists. ADEQ requires the operator to develop the SWPPP before submitting the NOI and before any construction begins. Gather every item below first, because the myDEQ form asks you to certify each one.
- A completed and signed SWPPP. This is the master plan for keeping pollutants out of runoff, and the NOI form makes you certify it exists. Without it, your submission is false and your coverage is void.
- The facility or project legal name and physical address. ADEQ uses this to map your site, so a wrong address sends inspectors to the wrong place and can delay processing.
- The site center-point latitude and longitude. The form needs decimal-degree coordinates, and a mismatch with the address is a top reason ADEQ flags an NOI for review.
- Total project acreage and total disturbed acreage. These numbers set your permit conditions, and understating them can be treated as a misrepresentation.
- The operator’s legal name, mailing address, and contact details. The operator is the party legally responsible, so naming the wrong entity puts liability on the wrong person.
- The receiving water name. You must list the surface water that gets your runoff, because protected-water status changes your monitoring duties.
- A myDEQ account with an authorized signer. Only a person with signatory authority under R18-9 can certify the NOI, and an unauthorized signer makes the form invalid.
- Your industrial sector code (MSGP only). Each of the 29 sectors carries its own monitoring rules, and picking the wrong sector applies the wrong limits to your site.
- Payment method for any applicable fee. ADEQ collects fees through myDEQ, and a failed payment leaves your NOI unsubmitted even if every field is correct.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
There is no paper PDF you mail in. The AZPDES NOI is a guided electronic form built into the myDEQ online portal, and ADEQ requires you to submit it electronically via myDEQ. You first create a free myDEQ account, verify your identity, and then select the stormwater service that matches your permit.
To find the form, log into myDEQ and choose either the Construction Stormwater NOI service or the Industrial Stormwater (MSGP) NOI service. The portal walks you screen by screen and will not let you submit until required fields are filled. You can read the underlying rules in the 2020 Construction General Permit and on the ADEQ MSGP page before you start typing.
If you cannot use the portal, ADEQ runs a help line at (844) 827-4768 referenced by Arizona municipalities such as El Mirage for stormwater filing questions. Confirm the form version before you submit: the Construction permit carries the number AZG2020-001, and the current MSGP was reissued effective January 16, 2025. Checking the version near the start prevents you from filing under an expired permit.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the AZPDES NOI Line by Line
The NOI is organized into logical sections inside myDEQ. Work through them in the order the portal presents them. Each subsection below covers what the field asks, how to answer it, a sample entry, an edge case, the common mistake, and a misconception to drop.
Section 1: Permit Selection
What it asks in plain English. This first screen asks which permit you want coverage under — Construction (AZG2020-001) or the Multi-Sector (industrial) permit.
How to answer it. Choose Construction if you are clearing, grading, or excavating land of one acre or more. Choose MSGP if you operate an ongoing industrial facility in one of the 29 sectors.
A sample entry. Carlos Mendez, building a 5-acre subdivision, selects “Construction General Permit AZG2020-001.”
A nuance or edge case. What if your site is under one acre but sits inside a larger master-planned community? You still pick the Construction permit, because a common plan of development is measured by the whole plan, not your one lot.
A common mistake and its consequence. Picking MSGP for a build site sends you down the wrong question path and produces a permit that does not legally cover grading, leaving your earthwork unauthorized.
A misconception. Filers think one NOI can cover both a construction phase and later operations; it cannot, and you file a separate NOI when the site shifts to industrial use.
Section 2: Operator Information
What it asks in plain English. This section asks who the legally responsible operator is — the person or company that controls the site and the work.
How to answer it. Enter the operator’s full legal name exactly as registered, the mailing address, phone, and email. Use the entity name on file with the Arizona Corporation Commission, not a nickname.
A sample entry. Carlos enters “Mendez Homebuilders LLC,” 1450 W Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013.
A nuance or edge case. What if both a developer and a general contractor share control? List the party with day-to-day operational control as the operator, and consider whether a second NOI is needed for the other party.
A common mistake and its consequence. Naming an individual when the company holds the contract puts personal liability on that person for any violation.
A misconception. People believe the property owner is always the operator; the operator is whoever has control over construction plans and the power to direct changes, which is often the builder.
Section 3: Project or Facility Site Information
What it asks in plain English. This section asks where the physical work happens — the site name and street address.
How to answer it. Enter the project name and the actual site address, which can differ from the operator’s mailing address. Write the address in standard format with city, state, and ZIP.
A sample entry. Carlos enters “Desert Vista Estates,” 8800 S 35th Ave, Laveen, AZ 85339.
A nuance or edge case. What if the site has no street address yet because it is raw land? Use the nearest cross streets or the parcel number and rely on the coordinates in the next field to pinpoint it.
A common mistake and its consequence. Entering the office address instead of the dig site misroutes ADEQ inspectors and can delay your authorization.
A misconception. Filers assume the site address must match the mailing address; ADEQ expects them to differ for most projects.
Section 4: Site Coordinates (Latitude and Longitude)
What it asks in plain English. This field asks for the geographic center point of your site in decimal degrees.
How to answer it. Enter latitude and longitude in decimal format, such as 33.3528 and -112.1380. Pull the values from a mapping tool centered on your site, not on your office.
A sample entry. Carlos enters Latitude 33.3651, Longitude -112.1421 for Desert Vista Estates.
A nuance or edge case. What if your site spans a large area? Use the approximate center of the disturbed footprint, not a corner, so the mapped point lands inside your project.
A common mistake and its consequence. Swapping latitude and longitude, or dropping the negative sign on longitude, places your site outside Arizona and triggers a manual review that stalls the 5-day processing window.
A misconception. People think the address alone is enough; ADEQ relies on the coordinates as the controlling location data when address and map disagree.
Section 5: Acreage Disturbed
What it asks in plain English. This section asks for the total project size and the total acres of soil you will disturb.
How to answer it. Enter total project acreage and total disturbed acreage as numbers. Round to the nearest tenth and base the figures on your grading plan.
A sample entry. Carlos enters Total project area 5.0 acres and Total disturbed area 4.6 acres.
A nuance or edge case. What if you grade the site in phases? Report the full acreage that will be disturbed over the life of the project, not just the first phase.
A common mistake and its consequence. Reporting only the active phase understates your disturbance and can be treated as a misrepresentation that voids coverage.
A misconception. Filers think disturbed acreage means only the building pad; it includes staging areas, access roads, and stockpiles too.
Section 6: Receiving Water and Discharge Information
What it asks in plain English. This section asks where your stormwater goes — the name of the surface water or storm drain that receives your runoff.
How to answer it. Name the receiving water, such as a river, wash, or canal, and indicate whether discharge is direct or through a storm drain system. Use the official water body name.
A sample entry. Carlos enters “Salt River” via the City of Phoenix municipal storm sewer system.
A nuance or edge case. What if runoff reaches a Protected Surface Water through a ditch you do not own? You still list it, because indirect conveyance still counts as a discharge.
A common mistake and its consequence. Writing “none” when a ditch carries runoff offsite misstates your discharge and can lead to enforcement when an inspector finds the pathway.
A misconception. People assume desert sites never discharge; a hard rain can send runoff to a wash that feeds a protected water, which triggers permit duties.
Section 7: Industrial Sector Selection (MSGP Only)
What it asks in plain English. For industrial filers, this field asks which of the 29 sectors your activity falls under.
How to answer it. Match your primary Standard Industrial Classification activity to the correct sector letter and code. Pick the sector that reflects what creates your pollutant exposure.
A sample entry. Aisha Robinson, who runs a metal scrap yard, selects Sector N, Scrap Recycling and Waste Recycling Facilities.
A nuance or edge case. What if your facility performs more than one industrial activity? You may need to comply with multiple sector requirements and list each one.
A common mistake and its consequence. Choosing a lower-monitoring sector to avoid sampling applies the wrong action levels and is a reportable violation if discovered.
A misconception. Operators think the sector is cosmetic; it sets your exact benchmark monitoring and Additional Implementation Measures.
Section 8: SWPPP Certification
What it asks in plain English. This field asks you to confirm that a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan is complete and on site.
How to answer it. Check the box certifying the SWPPP is developed and will be kept at the site. Do this only after the plan is actually written and signed.
A sample entry. Carlos checks “Yes, a SWPPP has been prepared and is available at the project site.”
A nuance or edge case. What if the SWPPP is drafted but unsigned? It is not complete, so do not certify until the qualified person signs it.
A common mistake and its consequence. Checking this box before the SWPPP exists is a false certification under penalty of law and can carry civil and criminal exposure.
A misconception. Filers believe ADEQ reviews the SWPPP before granting coverage; ADEQ does not pre-approve it, so the burden is entirely on you to have it right.
Section 9: Operator Certification and Signature
What it asks in plain English. This last section asks an authorized person to legally certify and electronically sign the NOI.
How to answer it. The signer must be a person with signatory authority under R18-9 — an officer, owner, or duly authorized representative. Sign with the myDEQ verified e-signature.
A sample entry. Carlos Mendez, Managing Member of Mendez Homebuilders LLC, signs electronically on 06/03/2026.
A nuance or edge case. What if an environmental consultant prepares the NOI? The consultant may enter the data, but the authorized company official must be the one who certifies and signs.
A common mistake and its consequence. Having an office assistant sign without delegated authority makes the certification invalid and the coverage void.
A misconception. People think a typed name is just a formality; the e-signature carries the same legal weight as a sworn statement.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
These three named filers show the form from start to finish for the most common situations.
Scenario 1 — Carlos builds a 5-acre subdivision (Construction General Permit)
| Form Section | What Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| Permit Selection | Construction General Permit AZG2020-001 |
| Operator Information | Mendez Homebuilders LLC, Phoenix, AZ |
| Site Name and Address | Desert Vista Estates, Laveen, AZ 85339 |
| Coordinates | Lat 33.3651, Long -112.1421 |
| Total Project Acreage | 5.0 acres |
| Total Disturbed Acreage | 4.6 acres |
| Receiving Water | Salt River via Phoenix storm sewer |
| SWPPP Certification | Yes, SWPPP prepared and on site |
| Signature | Carlos Mendez, Managing Member, 06/03/2026 |
Scenario 2 — Aisha covers a metal scrap recycling yard (Multi-Sector General Permit)
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Permit Selection | Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) |
| Operator Information | Robinson Metals Inc., Tucson, AZ |
| Facility Name and Address | Robinson Scrap Yard, Tucson, AZ 85714 |
| Coordinates | Lat 32.1543, Long -110.9876 |
| Industrial Sector | Sector N, Scrap and Waste Recycling |
| Receiving Water | Santa Cruz River via municipal storm drain |
| SWPPP Certification | Yes, SWPPP updated for 2024 MSGP |
| Signatory Authority | Aisha Robinson, President |
| Signature Date | 06/03/2026 |
Scenario 3 — Marcus files a No Exposure Certificate for a warehouse
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Filing Type | No Exposure Certificate (NEC) |
| Operator Information | Marcus Lee, Lee Logistics LLC, Mesa, AZ |
| Facility Name and Address | Lee Distribution Center, Mesa, AZ 85201 |
| Coordinates | Lat 33.4152, Long -111.8315 |
| Industrial Sector | Sector applicable to warehousing |
| Exposure Question | No industrial materials exposed to rain |
| Receiving Water | Indirect to Salt River |
| Certification | Yes, condition of no exposure confirmed |
| Signature | Marcus Lee, Owner, 06/03/2026 |
How to File the Completed AZPDES NOI
Arizona uses one primary filing channel, with phone support as a backup. ADEQ requires the NOI to be submitted electronically via the myDEQ website, so there is no mail-in or in-person option for the form itself.
Online through myDEQ. Log into the myDEQ portal, complete the NOI service, pay any applicable fee through the portal’s payment screen, and submit. ADEQ typically processes a complete NOI within 5 business days and then issues an Authorization Certificate. Keep a downloaded PDF of your submission confirmation and the Authorization Certificate as your proof of filing.
Phone support. If you hit a portal problem, call ADEQ at (844) 827-4768, the number Arizona cities publish for stormwater help. Staff can guide you through account or submission issues, but they cannot file the NOI for you.
Proof to keep on site. For construction, you must maintain a copy of the Authorization Certificate and the SWPPP at the project site, along with your stormwater inspection reports. Missing on-site copies are a frequent inspection finding even when the NOI itself was filed correctly.
What Happens After You File
Once you submit, ADEQ reviews the NOI for completeness rather than approving your SWPPP. If everything checks out, the agency issues an Authorization Certificate that legally covers your discharge, usually within the 5-business-day window. You may begin earth-disturbing work only after coverage is granted.
During the project you must follow your SWPPP, run the inspections it requires, and keep records on site. For construction, coverage does not last forever; you end it by filing a Notice of Termination (NOT) to ADEQ within 30 days after the site reaches final stabilization. Until ADEQ accepts that NOT, the permit and its fees stay active.
MSGP holders face a different timeline. When ADEQ reissued the MSGP effective January 16, 2025, every existing holder had to submit a new NOI within 90 days, because coverage does not transfer automatically between permit versions. Industrial sites then carry ongoing monitoring, annual reporting, and corrective-action duties for the life of the permit.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Each error below has a direct cost attached to it.
- Submitting the NOI before the SWPPP exists, which makes your certification false and your coverage void.
- Swapping latitude and longitude, which maps your site outside Arizona and triggers a manual review.
- Dropping the negative sign on longitude, which places your site in the wrong hemisphere and stalls processing.
- Naming the property owner as operator when the builder controls the work, which puts liability on the wrong party.
- Understating disturbed acreage, which can be treated as a misrepresentation and void your permit.
- Choosing the wrong industrial sector, which applies incorrect monitoring and action levels to your facility.
- Listing “no discharge” when a ditch carries runoff offsite, which exposes you to enforcement.
- Selecting the Construction permit for an industrial site or the reverse, which leaves your real activity uncovered.
- Letting an unauthorized person e-sign, which makes the certification legally invalid.
- Forgetting to pay the fee in myDEQ, which leaves the NOI unsubmitted even when every field is complete.
- Filing under an expired permit version instead of AZG2020-001 or the 2024 MSGP, which provides no valid coverage.
- Failing to file a Notice of Termination after final stabilization, which keeps fees and obligations running.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Write and sign your SWPPP first, because the NOI makes you certify it already exists.
- Center your coordinates on the disturbed footprint, since ADEQ treats them as the controlling location.
- Name the party with operational control as operator, because that party carries the legal duty.
- Keep the Authorization Certificate and SWPPP on site, since inspectors check for them.
- Download your submission confirmation, because it is your only proof of timely filing.
- File a Notice of Termination within 30 days of final stabilization to stop ongoing fees.
Don’t:
- Don’t certify the SWPPP box before the plan is finished, because a false certification carries penalties.
- Don’t guess your industrial sector, since the wrong sector applies the wrong monitoring rules.
- Don’t report only the first construction phase, because partial acreage understates your disturbance.
- Don’t begin grading before ADEQ grants coverage, since early work is an unpermitted discharge.
- Don’t let an assistant sign without delegated authority, because that voids the certification.
- Don’t assume coverage transfers between permit versions, since MSGP holders had to refile within 90 days.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Filing on your own (pros):
- You save consultant fees, which matters for small one-lot projects.
- You control your own timeline and can file the moment your SWPPP is ready.
- You learn the myDEQ system, which helps with future filings.
- You keep direct ownership of the certification you are signing.
- You avoid sharing sensitive site data with an outside firm.
Filing on your own (cons):
- You bear full legal risk if a field is wrong, since you sign the certification.
- You may misjudge your industrial sector and apply the wrong monitoring.
- You must write a compliant SWPPP yourself, which is technical work.
- You can miss the 30-day termination or 90-day MSGP refiling deadlines.
- You have no expert to catch a coordinate or acreage error before submission.
FAQs
Do I need a permit if my construction site is under one acre? Yes. If your sub-one-acre lot is part of a larger common plan of development, you still need the Construction General Permit AZG2020-001.
Do I file the NOI on paper? No. Arizona requires the NOI to be submitted electronically through the myDEQ online portal, with no mail-in option for the form.
Do I write coordinates as latitude first or longitude first? Yes, enter latitude first, then longitude, in decimal degrees, and keep the negative sign on the Arizona longitude value.
Do I list the property owner or the builder as the operator? No, not always the owner; list the party with day-to-day operational control, which on most jobs is the general contractor or developer.
Do I report only the acreage I am grading this month? No. Report the total acreage that will be disturbed over the entire life of the project, including staging and stockpile areas.
Do I need my SWPPP finished before I file the NOI? Yes. ADEQ requires the SWPPP to be developed before you submit the NOI and before any earth-disturbing work begins.
Do I pick a sector on the construction NOI? No. Industrial sector codes apply only to the Multi-Sector General Permit, not to the Construction General Permit.
Do I get my SWPPP approved by ADEQ? No. ADEQ does not pre-approve your SWPPP; it reviews the NOI for completeness and the SWPPP burden stays on you.
Do I write “none” for receiving water if my site is in the desert? No. If a wash, ditch, or storm drain can carry runoff to a protected water, you must name that receiving water.
Do existing MSGP holders keep their old coverage automatically? No. After the 2024 reissuance, all MSGP holders had to submit a new NOI in myDEQ within 90 days to keep coverage.
Do I need to file anything when construction ends? Yes. File a Notice of Termination within 30 days after the site reaches final stabilization to end coverage and fees.
Do I face penalties for discharging without coverage? Yes. Discharging stormwater without a valid AZPDES permit can expose you to civil penalties under the Clean Water Act and A.R.S. Title 49.
Do I have to keep copies at the job site? Yes. You must keep the Authorization Certificate, the SWPPP, and your inspection reports on site for inspectors to review.
Do I need signatory authority to sign the NOI? Yes. Only an officer, owner, or duly authorized representative under R18-9 may certify and electronically sign the NOI.
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