United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-38-055
September 1988
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Maryland ^
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DISCLAIMER
the us p,If- Ca ? YaS PrePared by Battelle under contract to
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Additional information may also be obtained from the:
. Standards Branch
Criteria and Standards Division (WH-585)
n^6 ? Water ^^ations and Standards
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, B.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: PB-141873
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MARYLAND
Responsible Agency:
Maryland Department of the Environment
Hater Management Administration
201 K. Preston Street
Baltimore
301-225-6300
21201
State Contact:
Us. Mary Jo Barrels
Division Chief
Standards and Certification Division
201 H. Preston Street, 2nd Floor
Baltimore
21201
301-225-6293
State Contact
Standards Available From:
Mary Jo Barrels
Maryland Department of the Environment
Water Management Administration '
201 H. Preston Street
Baltimore 21201
Fee: none Mailing List: no
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
1. Certain waters of the State possess existing quality which is better than the water quality standards
established for them. The quality of these waters shall be maintained unless:
(a) The Department {Maryland Department of the Environment) determines a change is justifiable as a result
of necessary economic or social development and;
(b) ft change will not diminish uses made of, or presently possible, in these waters.
2. To accomplish the objective of maintaining existing water quality, all new or increased sources of
pollution are required to provide the degree of waste treatment necessary to maintain these waters at this
higher quality.
3. The Department will discourage downgrading any stream from a water use class with more stringent criteria
to one with less stringent criteria.
(a) Downgrading may only be considered if:
(i) The designated use is not attainable because of natural causes;
!ii) The designated use is not attainable because of irretrievable man-induced conditions; or
fiii) Substantial and widespread adverse social and economic impacts will result from maintaining the
designated use.
(b) Before downgrading any stream, the Department will provide public notice and opportunity for a public
hearing on the proposed change.
4, Mater which does not meet the standards established for it shall be improved to meet the standards.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
The waters of this State may not be polluted by high-temperature, toxic, corrosive, or other deleterious
substances attributable to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in concentrations or combinations which:
(a) interfere directly or indirectly with water uses; or
(b) are harmful to human, animal, plant or aquatic life.
Toxic materials criteria are established to protect freshwater aquatic life, saltwater aquatic life or human
health.
Free From
State Narrative Language For:
The waters of this State may not be polluted by:
1. Substances attributed to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste that will settle to from sludge deposits
that:
(a) Are unsightly, putrescent, or odorous;
•(b) Create a nuisance; or
(c) Interfere indirectly with water uses; and
2. Any material including floating debris, oil, grease, scum, sludge and other floating materials, attribut-
able to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in amounts sufficient to:
(a) Be unsightly and create a nuisance; •
(b) Produce taste or odor;
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MARYLAND
(c) Change the existing color;
(d) Change other chemical or physical conditions in the surface waters;
(e) Create a nuisance; or
(f) Interfere directly or indirectly with Mater uses; and
3. High-temperature,'toxic, corrosive or other deleterious substances attributable to sewage, industrial
«aste, or other waste in concentrations or combinations which:
(a) Interfere directly or indirectly with water uses; or
(b) Are hanful to human, animal, plant, or aquatic life.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
1, Discharges to intermittent streats are not permitted Nhen feasible alternatives are available.
2. Effluent limitation for discharges to specific intermittent streams may be determined by the Department on
3 C35fi~by""CB5B D35is«
3. Effluent limitations may not be less stringent than!
The minimum national effluent guidelines established under the Federal Act; or
Those levels necessary to aaintain the water quality standards of downstream segments; or
Those levels necessary to protect the biological community of the intermittent stream.
Those levels necessary to protect public health.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Zones
2.
3.
4.
(a)
State Narrative Language For: Mixing
1. Effluents may be mixed with surface waters in the mixing zone.
Effluents may not be treated in the mixing zone.
Surface waters outside the mixing zones shall meet the water quality standards for that body of water.
The Department may designate nixing zones subject to the following requirements!
There shall be no interference with biological communities or populations of indigenous species to a
degree which is damaging to the aquatic life or ecosystem;
(b) There shall be no diminishing of other legitimate beneficial uses;
(c) Nixing zones may not form barriers to the nigratory routes of aquatic life;
(d) Nixing zones shall be designated and located to protect surface waters and shallow water shoreline areas
(e) The general water quality criteria set out in C (Seneral Hater Quality Criteria) of this regulation
apply within the mixing zones.
5, A mixing zone is not permitted for toxic materials identified in D(2) (Specific Hater Quality Criteria)
6. Except for thermal mixing zones established by Regulation .29-.32, mixing zones may not exceed the
following maximum limits:
(a) In freshwater streams and rivers, a mixing zone width may not exceed one-third of the width of the
surface water body.
(b) In lakes, the combined area of all mixing zones may not exceed 10 percent of the lake surface area.
{c} In estuarine areas, the maximum cross-sectional area of the mixing zone may not exceed 10 percent of the
cross-sectional area of the surface water body.
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MARYLAND
Classifications:
Hater Contact
Recreation 4 Aquatic
Life & Hater'Supply
Class 1
Shellfish
Harvesting Haters "
Class II
Natural Trout Haters
Class III
Recreational
Trout Haters
Class IV
Includes waters which are suitable for: a) Hater contact sports; b) Play and
leisure ti« activities-inhere the huian body iay coie in direct contact with the
surface water; c) Growth and propagation of fish (other than trout), other
aquatic life and wildlife; d) Public water supply; e) Agricultural water supply;
f) Industrial water supply.
Haters where shellfish are propagated, stored or gathered for larketing
purposes) includes actual or potential areas for the harvesting of oysters,
softshell dais, hardshell dais, and brackish water class.
Haters which are suitable for the growth and propagation of trout, and which
are capable of supporting natural trout populations and their associated food
organises.
Haters which are capable of holding or supporting adult trout for put-and-take
fishing, and which are tanaged as a special fishery by periodic stocking and
seasonal catching.
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MARYLAND
Physical
pH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Lexer Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Aldrin & Dieldrin
Upper Value
DDT
Upper Value
Endrin
Upper Value
Toxaphene
Upper Value
Organics
PCBs
Upper Value
Bacteria
Fecal Colifoei
Upper Value
All
Classes
8.5
6.5
150 units
0.003 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.004 ug/L
0.005 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
Hater Contact
Class I
5.0 ig/L
90 F
Shellfish
Class II
Natural Trout H.,
Class III
5.0 ig/L
90 F
5.0 tg/L
Marr.
Narr.
Narr.
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MARYLAND
Physical
Dissolved Oxygen
Lower Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Qrganics
Bacteria
Fecal Colifori
Upper Value
Recreational
Class IV
5.0
75 F
Narr.
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