f '
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-88-060
September 1988
State Water Quality
Standards Summary-
Mississippi
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DISCLAIMER
This publication"was prepared by Battelle under contract to
the U.S. Environmental 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
and provide comments on a draft of this information document. In
no event shall either the United States or Battelle have any
responsibility or liability for any use, misuse, or reliance upon
the information contained herein, nor does either warrant or
otherwise represent in any way the accuracy, adequacy, efficacy,
or applicability of the contents hereof.
The reader should consult the water quality standards of a
particular State for exact regulatory language applicable to that
State. Copies of State water quality standards may be obtained
from the State's Water Pollution Control Agency or its
equivalent.
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: PB89-141923
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MISSISSIPPI
Responsible Agency:
Hississippi Dept. of Natural Resources
Bureau of Pollution Control
P.O. Box 10385
Jackson, HS
601-961-5171
39209
State Contact:
Hr. Robert Seyfarth
Chief
Hater Quality Hanagement Branch
Bureau of Pollution Control
P.O. Box 10385
Jackson 39209
State Contact:
601-961-5171
Standards Available From:
Robert H. Seyfarth, Chief
Mater Quality Management Branch
Bureau of Pollution Control
P.O. Box 10385
Jackson 39209
601-961-5171 Fee; no Nailing Lists yes
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
The policy inherent in the standards shall be to protect water quality existing at the time these water
quality standards were adopted and to upgrade or enhance water quality within the State of Mississippi.
Haters whose existing quality is better than the established standards will be maintained at high quality,
unless the emission (Hississippi Air and Mater Pollution Control Coiiission) finds, after full satisfaction
of the intergoverniental coordination and public participation provisions of the State's continuing'planning
process, that allowing lower water quality is necessary to accommodate iiportant economic or social develop-
ment in the area in which the waters are located. In no event, however, lay degradation of water quality
interfere with or becoie injurious to existing instreat water uses, Furhter, in no case will water quality
be degraded below {or above) the base levels set forth in these standards for the protection of the beneficial
uses described herein. In addition the State will assure that there shall be achieved the highest statutory
and regulatory requirements for all new and existing point sources and all cost-effective and reasonable best
ianagetent practices for nonpoint source control. Hhere the Commission determines that high quality Haters
constitute an outstanding national resource, such as waters of National and State parks and wildlife refuges
and waters of exceptional recreational or ecological significance, that water quality shall be maintained and
protected.
In view of the fact that industry is continuing to produce new materials whose characteristics and effects are
unknown at this time, such materials shall be evaluated on their merits as information becomes available to
the Commission. The use of such information should be limited to that part applicable to the indigenous
aquatic community found in the State of Hississippi.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
Haters shall be free from substances attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other discharges
in concentrations or combinations which are toxic or harmful to humans, animals or aquatic life.
There shall be no substances added, whether alone or in combination with other substances, that will impair
the use of waters from that which it is classified. The concentration of toxic pollutants shall not exceed
one-tenth (1/lOth) of the 96-hour median tolerance limit based on available data. The concentration of toxic
pollutants that are cumulative and/or persistent may be furhter limited on a case-by-case basis, where such
data is available.
available references to be used in determining toxicity limitations shall include, but not be limited to
Quality Criteria for Hater (Section 304(a)), Federal Regulations under Section 307, and Federal Regulations
under Section 1412 of the Public Health Service Act as amended by the Safe Drinking Hater Act (Pub. L.
93-523). The use of such information should be limited to that part applicable to the indigenous aquatic
community found in the State of Hississippi.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
A. Haters shall be free from substances attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other
discharges that will settle to form putrescent or otherwise objectionable sludge deposits.
B. Haters shall be free from floating debris, oil, scum, and other floating materials attributable to
MS-1
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MISSISSIPPI
lunicipal, industrial, agricultural or other discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious.
C. Haters shall be free froi laterials attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other
discharges producing color, odor, or other conditions in such degree as to create a nuisance.
D. Haters shall be free froi substances attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other
discharges in concentrations or coibinations which are toxic or hanful to hutans, aniials or aquatic life.
State Narrative Language Fors Low Flow
All criteria contained herein shall apply to all stages of streamflow greater than or equal to the 7-day,
10-year minimum flan in unregulated, natural streams, and the legally guaranteed siniaua flo« in regulated
streams. This requirement shall not be interpreted to periit any unusual waste discharges during periods of
lower flow.
State Narrative Language Fors Mixing Zones
It is recognized that limited areas of mixing are sometimes unavoidable; however, mixing zones shall not be
used for, or considered as a substitute for waste treatment. Mixing zones constitute an area whereby
physical mixing of a wastewater effluent with a receiving water body occurs. Applications of mixing zones
shall be made on a case-by-case basis and shall only occur in cases involving large surface water bodies in
which a long distance or large area is required for the wastewater to completely mix with the receiving water
body.
The location of a mixing zone shall not significantly alter the designated uses of the receiving water outside
its established boundary. Adequate zones of passage for the migration and free movement of fish and other
aquatic biota shall be maintained. No conditions shall be allowed to exist within the mixing zone that would
result in an endangerment to public health, nuisance, or fish mortality.
MS-2
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MISSISSIPPI
Classifications:
Public Water Supply Water in this classification is for use as a source of raw water supply for
drinking and food processing purposes. The Nater treatient process shall be
approved by the Mississippi State Board of Health. The ran water supply will be
such that after approved treatment process it will satisfy the regulations
established pursuant to Section 1412 of the Public Health Service Act as amended
by the Safe Drinking Hater Act (Pub. L. 93-523). Haters that ieet Public Hater
Supply Criteria shall also be suitable for incidental recreational contact.
Shellfish Harvesting
Areas
Recreation
Fish 4 Hildlife
Epheieral Streai
Haters classified for this use are for propagation and harvesting shellfish for
sale or use as a food product, These waters will teet the requirements set
forth in the latest edition of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, Manual
of Operations, Part I, "Sanitation of Shellfish Browing Areas1, as published by
the U.S. Public Health Service.
The quality of waters in this classification is to be suitable for recreational
purposes, including such water contact activities as swiuing and water skiing.
The waters shall also be suitable for use for which waters of lower quality will
be satisfactory.
Haters in this classification are intended for fishing and for propagation of
fish, aquatic life, and wildlife.
Haters in this classification do not support a fisheries resource and are not
usable for human consumption or aquatic life. Ephemeral streams normally are
natural watercourses, including natural watercourses that have been aodif-ied by
channelization, that flow only in direct response to precipitation in the
immediate locality and whose channels are normally above, the groundwater table.
Haters in this classification shall be protective of wildlife and huaans which
may come in contact with the waters. Haters contained in ephemeral streams
shall also allow maintenance of the standards applicable to all downstream
waters.
MS-3
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MISSISSIPPI
Physical
pH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Dissovled Oxygen
Lower Value
Tesperature
Upper Value
Teaperature Change
Upper Value
Chlorides
Upper Value
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Arsenic
Upper Value
Cadiiui
Upper Value
Chroiiui - Hexavalent
Upper Value
Cyanide
Upper Value
Lead
Upper Value
Mercury
Upper Value
Bariui
Upper Value
Seleniui
Upper Value
Silver
Upper Value
Pesticides
Organics
Phenol
Upper Value
Bacteria
Fecal Colifon (Geo Mean, Max)
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
All
Classes
8.5
6.0
5 ig/L daily avg.
90 F
5 F
Public Water Su.. Shellfish Harve.. Recreation
250 ig/L
500 ig/L
0.05 ig/L
0.01 ig/L
0.05 ig/L
0.025 ig/L
0.05 ig/L
0.002 ig/L
1.0 ig/L
0.01 ig/L
0.05 ig/L
0.001 ig/L
2000 /100 iL
4000 /100 iL
1500 ig/L
14
43
/100 iL 200 /100 iL
/100 iL 400 /100 iL
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MISSISSIPPI
Fish 4 Wildlife Ephemeral Strea..
Physical
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value 1500 §q/L
Nutrients
Toxic Hetals
Pesticides
Organics
Phenolic Compounds
Upper Value 0.05 ig/L
Bacteria
Fecal Col if on
Upper Value 2000 7100 •(. Harr.
Secondary Upper Litit 4000 /100 iL
MS-5
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