Water Quality Standard

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-030093",
  "term": "Water Quality Standard",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The combination of a designated use and the maximum concentration of a pollutant which will protect that use for any given body of water. For example, in a trout stream, the concentration of iron should not exceed 1 mg/l.\n\n2. Law or regulation that consists of the beneficial designated use or uses of a waterbody, the numeric and narrative water quality criteria that are necessary to protect the use or uses of that particular waterbody, and an anti-degradation statement.\n\n3. A law or regulation that consists of the beneficial use or uses of a waterbody, the numeric and narrative water quality criteria that are necessary to protect the use or uses of that particular waterbody, and an antidegradation statement.\n\n4. A law or regulation that consists of the beneficial designated use or uses of a waterbody or a segment of a waterbody and the water quality criteria that is necessary to protect the use or uses of that particular waterbody. Water quality standards also contain an anti-degradation policy. The water quality standard serves a twofold purpose: (a) it establishes the water quality goals for a specific waterbody and ( b) it is the basis for establishing water quality-based treatment controls and strategies beyond the technology-based levels of treatment required by sections 301(b) and 306 of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987.\n\n5. Standards established pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act, and State-adopted water quality standards for navigable waters which are not interstate waters.\n\n6. Applicable water quality standards which have been approved, left in effect, or promulgated under section 303 of the Clean Water Act.\n\n7. Provisions of State or Federal law which consist of a designated use or uses for the waters of the United States and water quality criteria for such waters based upon such uses. Water quality standards are to protect the public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water and serve the purposes of the Act. [40 CFR 131.3 (CFR 2013)]\n\n8. Standards that define the goals for a water body by designating its uses, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions to protect water bodies from pollutants.\n\n9. State-adopted and EPA-approved ambient standards for water bodies. The standards prescribe the use of the water body and establish the water quality criteria that must be met to protect designated uses.\n\n10. Provisions of state or federal law that consist of a designated use or uses for the waters of the United States and water quality criteria for such waters based on such uses. Water quality standards are to protect the public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water, and serve the purposes of the CWA.\n\n11. Set of enforceable requirements under the Clean Water Act that include classification of receiving waters in accordance with their federal or state designated use(s), use-based water quality criteria that establish measurable limits for specific pollutants, and anti-degradation provisions to ensure that water quality is maintained or improved.\n\n12. Provisions of State or Federal law which consist of a designated use or uses for the waters of the United States and water quality criteria for such waters based upon such uses. Water quality standards are established to protect the public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water and serve the purposes of the Clean Water Act. 40 CFR 131.3(i).\n\n13. Provisions of state or federal law that consist of a designated use or uses for the waters of the United States, water quality criteria for such waters based on such uses, and an antidegradation policy. Water quality standards are to protect the public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water, and serve the purposes of the Clean Water Act. 40 CFR 131.3.\n\n14. A legally established state regulation consisting of three parts: (1) designated uses, (2) criteria, and (3) antidegradation policy (See Factsheet 7 - https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-bioassessment-factsheet-7).",
  "abbreviation": "WQS",
  "subject": "Water",
  "references": [
    "Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms; Pesticides Glossary",
    "Sediment Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Glossary",
    "National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Glossary",
    "Urban Watershed Management Research Terminology",
    "40 CFR 121.1 (CFR 2013)",
    "40 CFR 125.58 (CFR 2013)",
    "40 CFR 130.2 (CFR 2013)",
    "Chesapeake Bay Glossary",
    "Aquatic Biodiversity Glossary",
    "NPDES Permit Writers Glossary",
    "Septic Systems Glossary",
    "How's My Waterway Glossary",
    "Water Quality Toolkit Glossary; Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers Glossary",
    "Glossary of Wetland Bioassessment Terms"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/water-quality-standard/"
}