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
                                                WI-1

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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.
                                                   WI-2

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                                       WISCONSIN
Classifications:
 Fish and  Aquatic
 Life

 Recreational Use

 Public Hater Supply
                                                     WI-3

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                                                WISCONSIN
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.
                                                          WI-4

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