1. Implementation of Water Quality Standards and the WQ Based Approach
Implementation of Water Quality Standards and the WQ Based Approach
How are WQS used in determining if uses are
attained ?
Under what circumstances must a water be placed on the “Impaired Waters” list?
What is a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)? When must one be developed?
- How are permit limits for point sources developed ?
Other Questions:
What are the roles of the various offices? OW, OST, SHPD, HECD ?
What are Laws, What are Regulations, What is Guidance?, Policy?
What are the objectives and major provisions of CWA?
What is the purpose of Water Quality Standards and the Standards Program?
What is EPA’s role in Implementing WQS ?
What are we going to cover in this Water Quality Standards Academy?
What are Waters of the US?
How have water pollution control laws changed over the years?
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

2. Water Quality Based Approach
Water Quality Based Approach
Determine
Protection Level
(EPA Criteria/State WQS)
Measure Progress
Conduct WQ
Assessment
(Identify Impaired Waters)
Monitor and Enforce
Compliance
(Self Monitoring, Agency Monitoring)
Set Priorities
(Rank/Target Waterbodies)
Handout 2-5
Water Quality Based Approach is outlined in Sec. 302 of the Act
Show Video?
(Do we need to review transcript to make sure it is OK?)
Establish Source
Controls
(Point Source, NPS)
Evaluate Appropriateness
of WQS for Specific Waters
(Reaffirm WQS)
Define and Allocate
Control Responsibilities
(TMDL/WLA/LA)
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

3. Monitoring and Reporting: CWA Sections 305 (b) and 303 (d)
Monitoring and Reporting: CWA Sections 305 (b) and 303 (d)
Document assessment methodology for WQS attainment decisions
Categorize all state waters based on WQS attainment status
Present results of probability-based design at state or watershed scale
Establish monitoring priorities for next 2 years
Establish TMDL development priorities for all Category 5 waters
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

4. California Listing Policy
California Listing Policy
Data Quality
Number of exceedances of Magnitude, Duration, Frequency
Age of data
Temporal and Spatial representativeness
Aggregation of data by reach/area
How to interpret numeric objective
How to interpret narrative objectives
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

5. Monitoring and Reporting: Integrated Reporting Categories
Monitoring and Reporting: Integrated Reporting Categories
Attaining all designated uses
Attaining some designated uses, and insufficient or no data and information to determine if remaining uses are attained
Insufficient or no data and information to determine if the standard is attained
Impaired or threatened for one or more designated uses but not needing a TMDL because --
a. TMDL has been completed
b. Expected to meet standards
c. Not impaired by a pollutant
Impaired or threatened by pollutant(s) for one or more designated uses and requiring a TMDL
305 (b)
Report
303(d)
List
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

6. California and the Integrated Reporting Categories
California and the Integrated Reporting Categories
Evidence all uses supporting
Evidence some uses supporting (and no evidence other uses not supporting)
Evidence insufficient to make use support determinations
Evidence at least one use not supported (but TMDL not needed)
Evidence at least one use not supported (and TMDL needed)
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

7. TMDL = SWLAi + SLAi + MOS TMDL Definition
TMDL Definition
TMDL = SWLAi + SLAi + MOS
SWLAi: Sum of waste load allocations (point sources)
SLAi: Sum of load allocations (nonpoint sources)
MOS: Margin of Safety
- Extra measure of protection due to uncertainty
- Can be explicit (e.g., 10%) or implicit
(safety factors and assumptions in modeling, etc.)
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

8. Standards-to-Permits Process
Standards-to-Permits Process
40 CFR §122.44(d)
Technical Support Document for Water Quality-based Toxics Control (EPA/505/ ), March 1991
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

9. Standards-to-Permits Process
Develop Tech. Based Limit for POC
Tech. Based Limits / collect more data
TMDL for POC ?
“Reasonable
Potential” ?
Yes No No
Yes
(Calculate) Wasteload Allocation (WLA)
Continued
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach

10. Standards-to-Permits Process (Continued)
Waste Loa d Allocation (WLA)
Use statistics to develop Long Term Average (LTA)
Statistics to develop Maximum Daily Limit (MDL) and Average Monthly Limit (AML)
WQ-
based MDL / AML more stringent than Tech. Based limits ?
Water Quality-Based limits in permit
Yes No
Tech. Based limits in Permit
167D-6C-4
WQSA Module: Implementation and the WQ-Based Approach