United States .
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-88-067
September 1988
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
New Mexico
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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: PB89-141998
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NEW MEXICO
Responsible Agency: State Contact:
New Mexico Health and Environment Department
Environmental Improvement Division
P.O. Box 968
Santa Fe 87504-0968
505-827-2834
Standards Available From: State Contact:
David F. Tague, Program Manager
New Mexico Health and Environment Dept.
Surveillance and Standards Section
P.O. Box 968 .
Santa Fe 87504-0968
505-827-2822 Fee: no Hailing Lists yes
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
Degradation of Haters the quality of which is better than the stream standards established by the New Mexico
Hater Quality Control Commission is not resonable degradation and is the subject to abatement under the
authority granted the Commission by the New Mexico Hater Quality Act, as amended, unless it is justifiable as
a result of necessary economic and social development. Existing instreat Hater uses shall be maintained and
protected. No degradation shall be allotted in high quality waters of designated national and state parks and
wildlife refuges if such degradation would impair any of the qualities which caused designation of the parks
and wildlife refuges. To protect the existing quality of Hater, the Commission under that Act will require
the highest and best degree of effluent treatment practicable. In those cases where potential Hater quality
impairment associated with a thermal discharge is involved, this antidegradation policy shall be consistent •
with Section 316 of the Federal Hater Pollution Control Act. In implementing this section, the Comnission
through the appropriate regional offices of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Hill keep the Admin-
istrator advised and provided with such information concerning the Haters of New Mexico as he Hill need to
discharge his responsibilities under the Federal Clean'Hater Act.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
Toxic substances such as, but not limited to, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and organks, shall not be
present in receiving waters in concentrations which Hill change the ecological conditions of receiving Haters
to an extent detriaental to nan or other organisms of direct or indirect commercial, recreation, or
aesthetic value. Tcxicities of substances in receiving waters Hill be determined by appropriate bioassay
techniques, or other acceptable teans, for the particular form of aquatic life which is to be preserved nitti
the concentrations of toxic substances not to exceed 5Z of the LC-50 provided that! toxic substances nhich,
through uptake in the aquatic food chain and/or storage in plant and animal tissues, can be magnified to
levels which are toxic to man or other organisms, shall not be present in concentrations which result in
this biological magnification or exceed 1! of the LC-50. Haters designated for use as domestic Hater supplies
shall not contain substances in concentrations that exceed drinking water standards set forth in Section 202.B
of the New Mexico Regulations Governing Hater Supplies.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
A. The stream shall be free of water contaminants from other than natural causes that will settle and
adversely inhibit the growth of nornal flora and fauna or significantly alter the physical or chemical
properties of the bottom. Siltation resulting fro§ the reasonable operation and maintenance of irrigation
and flood control facilities is not subject to these standards.
B. Receiving water shall be free of objectionable oils, scue, grease and other floating materials resulting
fros other than natural causes.
C. Color-producing materials resulting from other than naturalcauses shall not create an aesthetically
undesirable condition nor should color impair the use of the water by desirable aquatic life presently common
in New Mexico waters.
D. Hater contasinants from other than natural causes shall be limited to concentrations that will not impart
NM-1
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NEW MEXICO
unpalatable flavor to fish, or result in offensive odor arising froi the streai or otherwise interfere with
the reasonable use of the water.
H. The streai shall be virtually free of pathogens. In particular, waters used for irrigation of table
crops such as lettuce shall be virtually free of Salionella and Shigella species.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
The general standards and nuieric standards lay not be attainable when streaiflow is less than critical low
flow of the streai in question. The critical low flow of a streai at a particular site is the liniiui average
seven consecutive day flow which occurs with a frequency of once in ten years (7Q10). Critical low-flow
nuiberic values Bay be determined on an annual, a seasonal or a unthly basis, as appropriate, after due
consideration of site-specific conditions.
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
In any waters receiving a waste discharge, a continuous zone iust be laintained in the streai or reservoir
where the water is of adequate quality to allow the ligration of all desirable aquatic life presently couon
in New Mexico waters with no significant effect on their populations. Mastewater lixing zones, in which the
standards lay be exceeded, shall generally be less than 1/4 of the cross-sectional area of the streai or
reservoir, allowing at least 3/4 of the streai or reservoir as a zone of passage.
.NM-2
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NEW MEXICO
Classifications:
Industrial Hater
Supply
Irrigation
Livestock and
Wildlife Watering
Secondary Contact
Recreation
Narewater Fishery
Priiary Contact
Recreation
Lisited Bartwater
Fishery
Coldnater Fishery
Marginal Coldwater
Fishery
High Quality
Coldnater Fishery
Doeestic Hater
Supply
Fish Culture
Irrigation Storage •
Municipal Hater
Supply
NM-3
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NEW MEXICO
Physical
Dissolved Oxygen
Upper Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
Turbidity
Upper Value
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Hutrients
Phosphorus
Upper Value
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
Fecal Colifon
Upper Value
All
Classes
Narr. site-spec.
0.0 C
32.2 C
2.7 C
1.7 C
Narr. site-spec.
Narr. site-spec.
0.1 ig/L
Industrial Hate.. Irrigation
Livestock and
Narr. site-spec.
Narr.
NM-4
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NEW MEXICO
Secondary Conta.. Harmter Fishe.. Priiary Contact Liiited Harmat.
Physical
pH
Upper Value
Lower Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
Fecal Colifort
Upper, Value
9.0
6.0
9.0
6.6
Narr.
NM-5
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NEW MEXICO
Coldwater Fishe.. Marginal Coldua.. High Quality Domestic Hater
*
Physical
pH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Hutrients
Anonia (un-ion)
Upper Value
Phosphorus
Upper Value
Toxic Hetals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
8.8
6.6
9.0
6.6
0.2 ig/L as
0.1 ig/L
NM-6
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Physical
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Drganics
Bacteria
NEW MEXICO
Fish Culture Irrigation Stor.. Hunicipal Hater
NM-7
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