LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | Secretary Courtney J. Burdette
A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), a federal agency may not issue a permit or license to conduct any activity that may result in any discharge into waters of the United States unless a water quality certification is issued, or certification is waived. A water quality certification is a determination that an activity, as described in the federal license or permit, will comply with applicable provisions of Sections 301, 302, 303, 306, and 307 of the Clean Water Act. A water quality certification is not a permit to perform the activity; however, federal licenses or permits may not be issued without it. The most common federal license or permit requiring certification is the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) CWA Section 404 permit. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality serves as the certifying authority for activities within the boundaries of the state of Louisiana.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated the CWA Section 401 regulations. The USACE, New Orleans District (MVN) and Vicksburg District (MVK) process permit applications subject to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and/or Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. To comply with the requirements of the updated 2023 CWA Section 401 Certification Rule, MVN and MVK request that project proponents (i.e. applicants) continue to follow the established procedures for submitting a MVN or MVK permit application. The procedures are different depending upon whether the activity is located within the coastal zone or outside of the coastal zone, but both procedures include options for electronic submission.
These procedures are located on the New Orleans District and Vicksburg District websites.
Once your permit application is received, the applicable USACE District will provide you with additional instructions detailing the steps to request a water quality certification. If your activity is covered by a general or nationwide CWA Section 404 permit, it may be eligible for a blanket water quality certification. The LDEQ has issued blanket water quality certifications for several general and nationwide permits issued by the Corps, which can be found by navigating to the General Permits page on the New Orleans District site.
If your project is not covered bya a general or nationwide permit, 40 CFR 121.4 requires project proponents to submit a pre-file meeting request is submitted to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting a certification request. As of November 3, 2025, the pre-filing meeting requirement has been waived for all activities seeking a water quality certification in the State of Louisiana. Project proponents are still required to request a pre-filing meeting, in accordance with applicable submission procedures. However, the Department will not require a pre-filing meeting or make project proponents wait 30 days to request a water quality certification. Upon receipt of a pre-filing meeting request, the Department will inform project proponents that the pre-filing meeting requirements have been waived, and a request for a water quality certification may be submitted at any time.Please submit the pre-file meeting request to the following email address: DEQ-WaterQualityCertifications@la.gov. Please include in the submission a statement that this is a request for a pre-file meeting.
Include in this request:
A request for a water quality certification must be submitted to the following email address: DEQ-WaterQualityCertifications@la.gov. The request should include the federal license or permit application, permit application figures, any readily available water-quality related materials that informed the development of the application, and documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted to the certifying authority. Please include in the submission that this is a request for an application for water quality certification. As mailbox space is limited (20 MB), PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ANY STUDIES, REPORTS OR PLANS when applying.
Additional application requirements are located at in LDEQ's Water Quality Certification regulations, LAC 33:IX, Chapter 15.
Navigate to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Water Quality Certifications
The following list of links are for the applicable permitting agencies:
For any questions or comments about Water Quality Certification process, please call the following number, (225) 219-3590, or send an email to the following email address: DEQ-WaterQualityCertifications@la.gov