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;
                                                    MD-1

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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.
                                               MD-2

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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.
                                               MD-3

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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.
                                                          MD-4

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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.
                MD-5

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