v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-8S-054
September 1988
Water
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Massachusetts
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DISCLAIMER
+>,• nhcS Pubfication was prepared by Battelle under contract to
SAr«JJ: fn^ronmental Protection Agency (Contract 68-03-3534).
Secondary information sources were used to compile data presented
in this document. Each State was given an opportunity to review
n2 ™V^de £°?Ten*fv0n 8 draft Of thls ^formation document. In
no event shall either the United States or Battelle have anv
?heP°?nfoiU^ °r liabilitv for «y «••. Disuse, or reliance upSn
the information contained herein, nor does either warrant or
otherwise represent in any way the accuracy, adequacy efficacv
or applicability of the contents hereof «quacy, etiicacy,
n.r^ c fhould consult the water quality standards of a
sill* r J 5°Le?aCt re^latory language applicable to that
from *h?PiJ'«.°* St^te Water ?ualit>r standards may be obtained
e ivalent S Pollution Control Agency or its
Additional information may also be obtained from the:
Standards Branch
Criteria and Standards Division (WH-585)
Office of Water Regulations and Standards
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
202-475-7315
This document may be obtained only from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) at the following address:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Front Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
703-487-4650
The NTIS order number is: PB89-141865
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MASSACHUSETTS
Responsible Agency: State Contact:
Mass. Dept. of Environmental Quality Engineering Hr. Russel Isaac
Division of Hater Pollution Control Asst. Chief Engineer
1 Winter Street Technical Service iranch
NestvieN Building - Lyian School
Boston 02108 Route 9
617-292-5646 Hestborough ' 01581 617-366-9181
Standards Available From: State Contact: ?.
State Book Store ,
Rooi 116 ,
State House
Boston • 02133 :
617-727-2834 Fee: $1.45 hailing Lists no
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
Protection of Existing Uses - In all cases, froi and after the date these regulations become effective, the
quality of the surface waters of the CononHealth shall be laintained and protected to sustain existing
beneficial uses.
Protection of High Quality Haters- From and after the date these regulations becote effective, waters
designated by the Division (Massachusetts Division of Hater Pollution Control) in 310 CHR 4.05(5) whose
quality is or becomes consistently higher than the quality necessary to sustain the national goal uses shall
be laintained at that higher level of quality unless limited degradation is authorized by the Division.
Liiited degradation lay be allowed by the Division as a variance from this regulation as provided in 310 CHR
4.04(6).
Nation Resource Haters - Haters which constitute an outstanding national resource as detenined by their
outstanding recreational, ecological and/or aesthetic values shall be preserved. Haters so designated lay
not be degraded and are not subject to a variance procedure.
Control of Eutrophication - The discharge of nutrients, primarily phosphorus or nitrogen, to surface waters of
the Cononnealth will be limited or prohibited by the Division as necessary to prevent excessive eutrophica-
tion of such waters. Activities which lay result in non-point discharges of nutrients shall be conducted in
accordance with the best management practices reasonably detenined by the Division to be necessary to
preclude or liniiize such discharges of nutrients.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
Haters shall be free from pollutants in concentrations or combinations that:
(a) exceed the recoiiended liiits on the most sensitive receiving water use;
(b) injure, are toxic to, or produce adverse physiological or behavioral responses in huians or aquatic life;
(c) exceed site-specific safe exposure levels detenined by bioassay using sensitive species.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
All waters shall be free froi pollutants in concentrations or combinations that: <
a. Settle to fori objectionable deposits;
b. Float as debris, scut or other litter to fori nuisances; t
c. Produce objectionable odor, color, taste or turbidity;
d. Result in the dominance of nuisance species.
Radioactive substances shall not exceed the recoiiended liiits of the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's National Drinking Hater Regulations.
Tainting substances shall not be in concentrations or'combinations that produce u'ndes'irab'le flavors in edible
portions of aquatic organisms. '
Color, turbidity, and total suspended solids shall not be in concentrations or combinations that would exceed
the recommended limits on the most sensitive receiving water use.
The water surface shall be free from floating oils, grease and petrochemicals and any concentrations or combi-
nations in the water column or sediments that are aesthetically objectionable or deleterious to the biota.
MA-1
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MASSACHUSETTS
Nutrients not to exceed the site-specific Units necessary to control accelerated or cultural euthrophication.
Haters shall be free from pollutants in concentrations or combinations that:
a. Exceed the recommended liiits on the most sensitive receiving use;
b. Injure, are toxic to, or produce adverse physiological or behavioral responses in huians or aquatic life;
c. Exceed site-specific safe exposure levels determined by bioassay using sensitive species.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
Hydrologic Conditions - The Division will determine the tost severe hydrologic condition at which water
quality standards iust be met. In classifying the inland surface waters and in applying these standards to
such waters, the critical low flow condition at and above which these standards mst be let is the average
minimum consecutive seven day flow to -be expected once in ten years, unless otherwise stated by the Division
in these standards. In artificially regulated waters, the critical low flow will be established by the
Division through agreement with the Federal, State or private interest controlling the flow. The minimum Urn
established in such agreeient will becoie the critical low flow under this section for those waters covered bv
the agreeient. '
Protection of Low Flow Haters - Certain waters will be designated by the Division in Regulation 5.5 of these
standards for protection under this section due to their inability to accept pollutant discharges. New or
increased discharges of pollutants to waters so designated are prohibited unless a variance is granted bv the
Division as provided in 314 CHR 4.04(6).
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
In applying these standards, the Division lay recognize, where appropriate, a limited mixing zone or zone of
initial dilution on a case-by-case basis. The location, size, and shape of these zones shall provide for the
•axiiui protection of aquatic resources. At a minimum, mixing zones nust:
(a) fleet the criteria for aesthetics; '
{b) Be limited to an area or volume that will minimize interference with the designated uses or established
community of aquatic life in the segment;
(c) Allow an appropriate zone of passage for migrating fish and other organisms; and
Id] Not result in substances accumulating in sediments, aquatic life or food chains to exceed known or
predicted safe exposure levels for the health of humans or aquatic life.
MA-2
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MASSACHUSETTS
Classifications
Inland Maters
'Class A
Inland Haters
Class 8
Inland Waters
Class C
Coastal and
Marine Maters
Class SA
Coastal and
Marine Haters
Class SB
Coastal and
Karine Haters
Class SC
Haters assigned to this class are designated for use as a source of public
water supply.
Haters assigned to this class are designated for the uses of protection and
propagation of fish, other aquatic life and wildlife; and for priiary and
secondary contact recreation.
Haters assinged to this class are designated for the uses of protection and
propagation of fish, other aquatic life and wildlife; and for secondary
contact recreation.
Haters assigned to this class are designated for the uses of protection and
propagation of fish, other aquatic life and wildlife; for priiary and secondary
contact recreation; and for shellfish harvesting without depuration in approved
areas.
Haters assigned to this class are designated for the uses of protection and
propagation of fish, other aquatic life and wildlife; for priiary and secondary
contact recreation; and for shellfish harvesting with depuration (Restricted
Shellfish Areas)
Haters assigned to this class are designated for the protection and propagation
of fish, other aquatic life and wildlife; and for secondary contact recreation.
-t-MA-3
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MASSACHUSETTS
Physical
PH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Loner Value
Teiperature
tipper Value
Secondary Upper Liiif
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
Chlorides
Upper Value
Sulfates
Upper Value
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Nutrients
Nitrate
Upper Value
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
Fecal Col if on
Upper Value
Total Colifori
Upper Value
All
Classes
Narr.
Inland Waters
Class A
5.0 ig/L
83
68
4.0
10
250 ig/L
250 tg/L
500 tg/L
•g/L as N
Inland Haters
Class 6
8.0
6.5
5.0 ig/L
83
68
Narr.
Inland Haters
Class C
9.0
6.5
,5.0 ig/L
83
is
Narr.
Narr.
MA-4
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MASSACHUSETTS
Physical
PH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Lower Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Coastal and
Class SA
8.5
6.5
6.0 ig/L
Narr.
Narr.
Coastal and
Class SB
8.5
6.5
6.0 ig/L
Narr.
Narr.
Coastal and
Class SC
8.5
6.5
6.0 ig/L
Narr.
Narr.
Bacteria
Fecal Col if on
Upper Value
Total Col if on
Upper Value
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
MA-5
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