United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 440/5-88-086
September 1988
Water
xvEPA
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Wisconsin
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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: PB89-142186
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WISCONSIN
Responsible Agency:
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Box 7921
Madison
53707
Standards Available From;
Jeroie HcKersie, Chief Hater Quality Evaluation
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
Box 7921
State Contact:
Duane Schuettpelz
Chief
Surf. Water Qual. Stand, t Monitor. Sec.
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
Box 7921
Madison 53707 608-266-0156
State Contact:
Madison
608-266-2879
Fee:
53707
no
Mailing List: no
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
No Haters of the state shall be lowered in quality unless it has been affirmatively demonstrated to the
department (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) that such a change is justified as a result of
necessary economic and social development provided that no new or increased effluent interferes with or
becomes injurious to any assigned uses made of or presently possible in such waters.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
Substances in concentrations or combinations which are toxic or harmful to humans shall not be present in
aaounts found to be of public health significance, nor shall substances be present in amounts which are
acutely harmful to aniial, plant or aquatic life.
Unauthorized concentrations of substances are not permitted that alone or in combination with other materials
present are toxic to fish or other aquatic life. The determination of the toxicity of a substance shall be
based upon the available scientific data base. References to be used in determining the toxicity of a
substance shall include, but not be United to:
1. 'Quality Criteria for Hater'. EPA-440/9-76-003. United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DiC., 1976, and
2, "Water Quality Criteria 1972'. EPA-R3-73-033. National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of
Engineering, United States Sovernient Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1974.
3. Questions concerning the permissible levels, or changes in the same, of a'substance, or combination of
substances, of undefined toxicity to fish and other biota shall be resolved in accordance with the methods
specified in "Hater Quality Criteria 1972', "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater",
14th Edition, 1975 (American Public Health Association, New York) or other methods approved by the department
of natural resources.
The intake water supply will be such that by appropriate treatment and adequate safeguards it will meet the
Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, 1962,
Concentrations of other constituents mist not be hazardous to health.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
Practices attributable to aunicipal, industrial, conercial, domestic, agricultural, land development or other
activities shall be controlled so that all waters including the nixing zone and the effluent channel meet the
following conditions at all times and under all flow conditions:
A, Substances that will cause objectionable deposits, on the shore or in the bed of a body of water, shall
not be present in such aeounts as to interfere with public rights in waters of the state.
8. Floating or subaerged debris, oil, scui or other material shall not be present in such amounts as to
interfere with public rights in waters of the state.
C. Materials producing color, odor, taste or unsightliness shall not be present in such amounts as to
interfere with public rights in waters of the state.
D, Substances in concentrations or conbinations which are toxic or harmful to humans shall not be present in
aaounts found to be of public health significance, nor shall substances be present in amounts which are
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WISCONSIN
acutely hanful to aniial, plant or aquatic life.
State Narrative Language For: Low Flow
Water quality standards Mill not be laintained under all natural occurrences of flow, teiperature or other
Mater quality characteristics. The design of Mater quality related effluent liiitations or other aanageient:
practices shall be based upon:
a. The average tiniiut 7-day low streaa flow which occurs once in 10 years (7-day 010); or
b. In the case of dissolved oxygen and wherever sufficient data on streai flow and teiperature are available,
by application of a 0.274! level of nonattainient. This is equivalent to an expected nonattaintent of the
dissolved oxygen criterion of one day per year.
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
Hater quality standards lust be let at every point outside of a lixing zone. The size shall be based on such
factors as effluent quality and quantity, available dilution, teiperature, current, type of outfall, channel
configuration and restrictions to fish loveient. As a guide to the delineation of a lixing zone, the follow-
ing shall be taken into consideration:
(a) Liiiting lixing zones to as stall an area as practicable, and conforming to the tiie exposure responses
of aquatic life.
(b) Providing passageways in rivers for fish and other labile aquatic organists.
(c) Where possible, lixing zones being no larger than 25 percent of the cross-sectional area or voluie of
floH of the streai and not extending tore than 50 percent of the width.
(d) For contaiinants other than heat, the 96-hour TLi to indigenous fish and fish food organists not being
exceeded at any point in the lixing zone.
(e) (fixing zones not exceeding 10 percent of a lake's total surface area.
(f) Nixing zones not interfering with spawning or nursery areas, ligratory routes, nor louths of tributaries.
(g) Mixing zones not overlapping, but where they do, taking measures to prevent adverse synergistic effects.
(h) Restricting the pH to values greater than 4.0 s.u. and to values less than 11.0 s.u. at any point in the
•ixing zone for the protection of indigenous fish and food organists.
The theraal tixing zone provisions of this chapter are not applicable to lunicipal waste and water treatment
plants, to vessels, or to discharges to enclosed harbors.
Application of chenicals for water resource lanagetent purposes in accordance with statutory provisions is not
subject to the requirements of the standards except in case of water used for public water supply.
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Classifications:
Fish and Aquatic
Life
Recreational Use
Public Hater Supply
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Physical
pH
Upper Value
Lower Value
Dissolved Oxygen
Loner Value
Teiperature
Upper Value
Teiperature Change
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value
Nutrients
ftiionia
Upper Value
Secondary Upper Liiit
Toxic Metals
Pesticides
Organics
Bacteria
Fecal Colifon
Upper Value
All
Classes
Fish and Aquati.. Recreational Us.. Public Nater Su.
9.0
6.0
5
89
5
3
•g/L
F
f
f
•g/L ave
•g/L ave
750 «g/L
Narr.
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