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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