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 ^ ------- ------- DISCLAIMER the us p,If- Ca ? YaS PrePared by Battelle under contract to u.iic U«O. RnVlT^rtT^m^T^-^*! C«.«. ^. j_- • »**»»^ *. 'ta**-'***-i.ei\^c »-O e« j ^"vj-iuiimen-taj. Protection Agency fContrar-i- RQ n-a TCT/TX s sfrjoSS^^Sch-sss "ere uLd *• ~^"- d«'"p--ntid lii?lliSP=i=[l 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 ------- ------- 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; MD-1 ------- 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. MD-2 ------- 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. MD-3 ------- 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. MD-4 ------- 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. MD-5 ------- ------- |