What Are Outfalls?
Outfalls represent specific locations at an industrial facility that are of interest to the regulating Authority; such as sampling or monitoring points. Each Industrial User (IU) may have multiple outfalls, listed in the Outfalls section of their overview page.
The Outfalls table displays each point’s name, ID, and current status.
Creating a New Outfall
From the IU Overview page, scroll to the Outfalls section.
Click + New Outfall in the top right.
At minimum, enter a Name and ID — other fields are optional.
Set the Active/Inactive status as needed.
Save the outfall to add it to the IU’s record.
Once created, the new outfall will appear in the table with the selected status.
Outfall Overview Page
Clicking on an outfall opens its Overview Page, which includes:
Outfall Summary – Displays core information and current status.
Limits – Lists any compliance or notification limits configured at the outfall.
Sample Report Configurations – Shows the reporting schedule tied to the outfall.
You can click Edit to update the outfall’s details from this page.
Understanding Outfall Status
Each outfall has a system-defined status:
Active – The outfall is operational and may be subject to sampling or limits. It can be edited or marked inactive (if not tied to active permits) but cannot be deleted.
Inactive – The outfall is no longer in use. To mark it inactive, all legal controls must first be terminated. Associated sample reports and limits will also be inactivated and must be reactivated manually if needed.
Deleted – Only inactive outfalls can be deleted. Deleted records cannot be restored.
Safeguards and Status Controls
To maintain compliance integrity:
You cannot inactivate an outfall linked to an active permit.
When a status change is not allowed, the Active toggle will be disabled and a tooltip will explain why.
Status changes that impact compliance (e.g., inactivation) include a confirmation step to prevent accidental actions.
Once inactive, the outfall can be deleted after a second confirmation.
These safeguards are built in to prevent users from disrupting live regulatory workflows.
Try It Out
Create a new outfall and assign it an active status.
Change the status of an outfall with no active permits to inactive, then delete it.
Open an outfall with an active permit and view the disabled status toggle and tooltip.
Watch the Video
This video walks through creating, editing, deactivating, and deleting outfalls. It also shows how the system prevents invalid changes when an outfall is tied to active permits.