Adoption of Waste Discharge Requirements for Demler Brothers LLC, Pine Hill Egg Ranch and Pullet Farm, Ramona, San Diego County.

Order No. R9-2025-0012, issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board San Diego Region, establishes Waste Discharge Requirements for Demler Brothers LLC at the Pine Hill Egg Ranch and Pullet Farm in Ramona, California. Effective October 8, 2025, the order regulates the discharge of animal waste at both facilities and the discharge of egg wash process water into onsite evaporation ponds at the Pine Hill Egg Ranch. The regulatory framework ensures compliance with the California Water Code and the California Environmental Quality Act, supported by a Mitigated Negative Declaration which concludes that the project will not have significant environmental effects provided specific mitigation measures are implemented. The order mandates strict operational standards, including weekly animal waste disposal, the use of freezers for chicken carcasses, and monthly inspections of evaporation ponds and wastewater treatment systems. Evaporation ponds must maintain at least 9 inches of freeboard and utilize liners with a permeability of 1x10-6 centimeters per second or less. Compliance requires the submission of a Work Plan within 120 days of adoption, an Emergency Spill Prevention Plan within 180 days, and annual self-monitoring reports due every March 1. All technical reports must be prepared and stamped by a California licensed civil engineer or geologist and submitted electronically via the GeoTracker database.