United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-88-074
September 1988
"•™™^PMBMMMH__
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Puerto Rico
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DISCLAIMER
i-ho n cS Publacatlon was prepared by Battelle under contract to
S™JJ;?' E™lronm?ntal Protection Agency (Contract 68-03-3534).
?n ?S? ^ informatl°* sources were used to compile data presented
in this document. Each State was given an opportunity to review
no £v«ni =om?ent^on a dra" of this information document In
no event shall either the United States or Battelle have anv
responsibility or liability for any use, misuse, or reliance upon
otnerw?^ 10n =ontained herein« nor does either warrant ?o?
otherwise represent in any way the accuracy, adequacy efficacv
or applicability of the contents hereof. ^equacy, etficacy,
Dart JuTa/^dJr ^h°Uld C°nsult the wate^ quality standards of a
6 ^^^ legulato^ ^nguage applicable to that
« °? State Water <3uality standards may be obtained
* Pollution Control Agency or its
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; PB89-142Q61
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PUERTO RICO
Responsible Agency:
Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board
P.O. Box 11448
Santurce
809-722-5959
00910-1488
Standards Available From:
Mr. Tomas Rivera, Acting Director
Water Quality Area
Puerto Rico Environiental Quality Board
P.O. Box 11448
Santurce 00910-1488
809-723-0733 Fee: no Mailing List: no
State Contact:
Mr. Toias Rivera
Acting Director
Hater Quality Area
Puerto Rico Environtental Quality Board
P.O. Box 11448
Santurce 00910-1488 809-723-0733
State Contact:
Mr. Robert Ayala
Puerto Rico Environiental Quality Board
P.O. Box 11448
Santurce
00910-1488 809-722-5959
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
Haters whose existing quality as of the effective date of these Regulations is better than the standards
established herein will be laintained at such quality. These and other waters of the Commonwealth will not
be leered in quality unless it has been affirmatively demonstrated to the Board (Environmental Quality
Board that such a change is justified as a result of necessary economic or social development and will not
interfere or become injurious to any assigned uses made of, or presently possible in, such waters. This will
require that any industrial, public or private project, or development which would constitute a new source of
portion, or a modified source of pollution, to a high quality water body, possess as a part of the initial
project design the best practicable control technology currently available. This decision of the Board shall
be preceded by adequate public notice. .
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
The waters of Puerto Rico shall not contain any substance in a concentration which is toxic or which produces
undesirable physiological responses in human, fish or other animal life, and plants.
The waters of Puerto Rico shall not contain two or more substances whose combination is toxic or which will
produce chronic or other undesirable physiological responses in humans, fish or other animal life and plants.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
The waters of Puerto Rico shall not contain material attributable to discharges that will settle to form
objectionable deposits. Nor will they contain floating debris, scum, oil and other floating materials
attributable to discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious.
The waters of Puerto Rico shall be free from color, odor, taste or turbidity attributable to discharqes in
such a degree as to create a nuisance.
The waters of Puerto Rico shall not contain any substance in a concentration which is toxic or which produces
undesirable physiological responses in husan, fish or other animal life, or plants.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
Kater quality standards shall apply at all tires, except in surface waters during periods when their flows are
less than the average iiniium seven day low flow which occurs once in any two consecutive years.
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
5.1 Requireaents for the Authorization of Mixing Zones - A discharge will be permitted for which a mixing
zone has not been defined and authorized by the Board only when the petitioner demonstrates to the satisfac-
uon of the Board that the discharge, undiluted, complies with all the water quality standards (at the
discharge saapling point).
5.2 Natural Background Concentrations - If the petitioner demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board,
through extensive field monitoring and investigations, that the natural background concentration of the
receiving waters exceed one or more of the water quality standards set forth for the corresponding
classification, the Board may allow the parameters in the discharge to be equal to or less than the natural
PR-1
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PUERTO RICO
background values.
Please refer to the "EPA Hater Quality'Criteria Sumries: A Co.pilation of State/Federal
additional imng zone language for Puerto Rico. '
ia" for
PR-2
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PUERTO RICO
Classif;
Class SA
*
Coastal waters whose existing characteristics should not be altered in order to
preserve the existing natural phenomena.
Coastal waters intended for uses where the huian body uy coie in direct contact
with the water (such as coiplete subiergence); and for use in propagation and
preservation of desirable species.
Cl3SS SC Coastal "aters for uses "here the huian body .ay co« in indirect contact with
the water (such as fishing, boating, etc.), and for use in propagation and
•aintenance of desirable species.
C1"5 SD . Surface "aters intended f°r "se as a raw water source for public water supply
and propagation and preservation of desirable species. These waters cannot be
safely used for priiary and secondary contact recreation, unless they coiolv
with Section 2.2.4.B.10.
ClaSS SE Surface "aters Df exceptional ecological value, *hose existing characteristics
should not be altered in order to preserve the existing natural phenoiena.
PR-3
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PUERTO RICO
Physical
PH
Upper Value
Loner Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Upper Value
Loner Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
Sulfates
Upper Value
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Nutrients
Total Nitrogen
Upper Value
Toxic Hetals
Arsenic
Upper Value
Cadiiui
Upper Value
Chroiim - Total
Upper Value
Chroiiui - Hexavalent
Upper Value
Copper
Upper Value
Cyanide
Upper Value
Iron
Upper Value
Lead
Upper Value
Mercury
Upper Value
Zinc
Upper Value
Bariui
Upper Value
Boron
Upper Value
Manganese
Upper Value
All Class SA
Classes
Narr.
Narr.
94 F
5 F
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
1.00 ug/L
50.0 ug/L
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
' Class
8.5
7.3
5
10
2800
5
150.0
5.00
300.0
50.0
50.0
20.0
200.0
15.0
1000.0
4800.0
100.0
SB
•g/L
•g/L
NTU
•g/L
•g/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
Class SC
8.5
7.3
•g/L
4 ig/L
10 NTU
2800 «g/L
5 «g/L
150.0 ug/L
5.00 ug/L
300.0 ug/L
50.0 ug/L
50.0 ug/L
20.0 ug/L
N
200.0 ug/L
15.0 ug/L
1000.0 ug/L
4800.0 ug/L
100.0 ug/L
PR-4
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PUERTO RICO
Organics
Phenolic Compounds
Upper Value
Bacteria
Fecal Colifon
Upper Value
Total Colifon
Upper Value
All
Classes
Class SA
Class SB
Class SC
Seleniui
Upper Value
Silver
Upper Value
Pesticides
Aldrin & Dieldrin
Upper Value
Cnlordane
Upper Value
2,4,D
Upper Value
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
Upper Value
DDT
Upper Value
Dene ton
Upper Value
Endosulfan
Upper Value
Endrin
Upper Value
Suthion
Upper Value
Heptachlor
Upper Value
Lindane
Upper Value
Halathion
Upper Value
Methoxychlor
Upper Value
Hirex
Upper Value
Parathion
Upper Value
Toxaphene
Upper Value
Narr. 10. 0 ug/L 10.0 ug/L
Narr. 2.00 ug/L 2.00 ug/L
•
0.002 ug/L
0.004 ug/L
80.00 ug/L
10.00 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.100 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.010 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.004 ug/L
0.100 ug/L
0.020 ug/L
0.001 ug/L
0.004 ug/L
0.005 ug/L
Narr.
10.0 ug/L 10.0 ug/L
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
Narr.
PR-5
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PUERTO RICO
Class SD
Class SE
Physical
PH
Upper Value
Lower Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Loner Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
Chlorides
Upper Value
Total Dissoved Solids
Upper Value
Hutrients
Nitrate
Upper Value
Toxic Metals
Arsenic
Upper Value
Cadiiui
Upper Value
Chroiiui - Total
Upper Value
Chroiiui - Hexavalent
Upper Value
Copper
Upper Value
Cyanide
Upper Value
Iron
Upper Value
Lead
Upper Value
Bariui
Upper Value
Boron
Upper Value
Seleniui
Upper Value
Silver
Upper Value
9.0
6.0
4.0
50
250
500
10
50.0
5.0
50.0
50.0
40.0
200.0
300.0
50.0
•g/L
NTU
•g/L
•g/L
•g/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
Narr.
Narr.
10
50.0
5.0
50.0
50.0
40.0
200.0
300.0
50.0
1000.0
1000.0
10.0
2.00
•g/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
ug/L
Pesticides
Organics
Phenolic Compounds
Upper Value
Bacteria
1.00 ug/L
1.00 ug/L
PR-6
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PUERTO RICO
Class SD Class SE
Fecal Colifon
Upper Value Harr.
Total Colifon
Narr. Narr.
PR-7
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