&EHV
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water'
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-8&-078
September 1988
Water
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Tennessee
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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
S-ate. Copies of State water quality standards may be obtained
• : --- the State's Water Pollution Control Agency or its
- Bivalent.
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:
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TENNESSEE
Responsible Agency: State Contact:
Tennessee Dept. of Health 4 Environment Ken Pointer
TERRA Building
150 Ninth Ave., North Dept. of Health and Environment
TERRft Building
Nashville 37219-5404 150 Ninth Ave., North
615-741-3111 Nashville 37219-5404 615-741-7883
Standards Available From: State Contact:
Ken Pointer
Dept. of Health and Environment
TERRA Building
150 Ninth Ave., North
Nashville, 37219-5404
615-741-7883 Fee: no Hailing List: yes
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
1. The purpose of the Hater Quality Standards and Plan as adopted are to provide for the protection of exist-
ing water quality and/or the upgrading or 'enhancement of water quality in all waters within Tennessee; and to
protect the public health or welfare in accordance with the public interest." The latest edition of Quality
Criteria for Hater published by the EPA pursuant ta Section 304{a) of the Federal Mater Pollution Control Act
(Public Law 92-500) and other documents as specified in the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health
and Environment and the Hater Quality Control Board, shall be used as guides in interpreting the water quality
criteria set out in these rules.
2. The Tennessee Hater Quality Standards shall not be construed as permitting the degradation of water whose
existing quality is better than the established standards unless and until it is affirmatively demonstrated
to the Tennessee Hater Quality Control Board that a change is justifiable as a result of necessary economic
or social development and will not interfere with or become injurious to any existing uses made of such
waters. In no case will water quality be degradated below the base levels set forth in the criteria for the
protection of the reasonable and necessary uses described herein. It is the purpose of Tennessee's standards
to fully protect existing water uses of all Haters of the State. Additionally, no degradation shall be
allowed in high quality waters which constitute an outstanding national resource, such as; waters of National
and State parks and wildlife refuges, and waters of exceptional recreational or ecological significance.
These standards shall be construed as to be consistent with Section 316 of the Clean Hater Act regarding
thersal discharges.
Please refer to the "EPA Hater Quality Criteria Summaries: A Compilation of State/Federal Criteria" for
additional antidegradation language for Tennessee.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
The waters shall not contain toxic substances, whether alone or in combination with other substances, which
will produce toxic conditions that materially affect the health and safety of man or animals or impair the
safety of conventionally treated water supplies. Available references to be used in determining such
conditions shall include, but not be limited to: Quality Criteria for Hater (Section 304(a) of PL 92-500);
Federal Regulations under Section 307 of PL 92-500; and Federal Regulations under Section 1412 of the Public
Health Service Act as aaended by the Safe Drinking Hater Act (PL 93-523).
Industrial Mater Supply: The waters shall not contain toxic substances whether alone or in combination with
other substances, which will adversely affect industrial processing.
Fish and Aquatic Life: The waters shall not contain substances or combination of substances including
disease causing agents which, by way of either direct exposure or indirect exposure through food chains may
cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological malfunctions
(including malfunctions in reproduction), physical deformations, or restrict or impair growth in fish or
aquatic life or their offspring. In no event shall the diversity or productivity of biota significant to the
aquatic community of the receiving stream be decreased. References to be used in determining toxicity
limitations shall include but not be limited to: Quality Criteria for Hater (Section 304(a) of Public Law
92-500), Federal Regulations under Section 307 of Public Law 92-500, and Federal Regulations under Section
TN-1
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TENNESSEE
1412 of the Public Health Service Act as aiended by the Safe Drinking Hater Act (Public Law 93-523). The
use of such information should' liiited to that part applicable to the aquatic community found Nithin the
receiving stream or Haters under consideration. Please refer to the 'EPA Criteria Summaries: fl Compilation of
State/Federal Criteria for additional toxic substance language for Tennessee.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
There shall be no distinctly visible solids, scui, foam, oily sleek, or the formation of sliies, bottoi
deposits or sludgegbanks of such size or character as aay impair the usefulness of the water as a source of
doaestic water supply,
There shall be no turbidity or color in amounts or characteristics that cannot be reduced to acceptable
concentrations by conventional water treattent processes.
The Haters shall not contain substances which will result in taste or odor that prevent the production of
potable water by conventional water treatient processes.
The Haters shall not contain toxic substances, whether alone or in combination with other substances, nhich
Hill produce toxic conditions that laterially affect the health and safety of conventionally treated water
supplies.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
The criteria set forth shall be applied on the basis of the following streai flows:
Unregulated Streams - streaa flows equal to or exceedin the 3-day ainiiui, 20-year recurrence interval;
Regulated Streats - all flows in excess of the tiniiui critical flow occurring once in twenty (20) years as
determined by an analysis of records of operation and approved by the Commissioner or the Tennessee Department
of Health and Environment.
Het Weather Conveyance - Met weather conveyances are natural watercourse, including natural watercourse that
have been modified by channelization, that flow only in direct response to precipitation in their immediate
locality and whose channel are above the groundwater table and which do not support fish or aquatic life and
are not suitable for drinking water supplies. Statutory fluthority: TCA Section 4-5-202, TCA Section
69-3-105.
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
Mixing zone refers to that section of a flowing stream or impounded waters in the immediate vicinity of an
outfall where an effluent becomes dispersed and mixed. Such zones shall be restricted in area and length and
shall not (i) prevent the free passage of fish or cause aquatic life mortality in the receiving water; (ii)
contain materials in concentrations that exceed recognized acute toxicity levels for biota significant to the
aquatic community in receiving water; (iii) result in offensive conditions; (iv) produce undesirable aquatic
life or result in dominance of a nuisance species; (v) endanger the public health or welfare; or (vi) adver-
sly affect the reasonable and necessary uses of the area; (vii) create a condition of chronic toxicity beyond
the edge of the mixing zone; and (viii) adversely affect nursery and spawning areas.
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TENNESSEE
Classifications!
Doiestic
Hater Supply
Industrial Hater
Supply
Fish 4 Aquatic Life
Recreation
Irrigation
Livestock Natering
and Wildlife
Navigation
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TENNESSEE
All
Classes
Doiestic
Industrial Hate.. Fish 4 ftquatic ..
Physical
PH
Upper Value
lexer Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Upper Value
Loner Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Cadiiui
Upper Value
Chroiiui - Total
Upper Value
Copper
Upper Value
Cyanide
Upper Value
Lead
Upper Value
Mercury
Upper Value
Zinc
Upper Value
Nickel
Upper Value
Seleniui
Upper Value
Silver
Upper Value
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
Fecal Col. (Max, 6eo. Mean)
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
9.0
6.0
Narr.
30.5
3
Narr.
SOO
C
C
C
•g/L
9.0
6.0
Narr.
30.5
3
Narr.
500
C
C
C
•g/L
8.5
6.5
5.0
30.5
20
3
Narr.
•g/L
•g/L
C
C
C
10 ug/L
50 ug/L
1000 ug/L
200 ug/L
50 ug/L
0.2 ug/L
5000 ug/L
100 ug/L
10 ug/L
50 ug/L
5000 /100 «L
1000 /100 iL
5000 /100 iL
1000 /100 iL
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TENNESSEE
Recreation
Irrigation
Livestock Hater,, Navigation
Physical
PH
Upper Value
Lower Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Upper Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Turbidity
Upper Value
9.0
6.0
30.5 C
3 C
Narr.
9.0
6.0
Narr,
Narr.
9.0
6.0
Narr.
Narr.
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
• Fecal Col. (Max, Beo. Mean)
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Litit
1000 /100 iL
200 /100 iL
TN-5
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