ui C3 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS CRITERIA DIGEST A COMPILATION OF FEDERAL/STATE CRITERIA ON -OIL- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. ------- INTRODUCTION This digest was compiled in order to provide general information to the public as well as to Federal, State, and local officials. It contains excerpts froin the individual Federal-State water quality standards establishing oil criteria for interstate waters. The water quality standards program is directed by the Environmental Protection Agency, an independent regulatory agenqr which has responsibility for approving State-adopted standards for interstate waters,evaluating adherence to the standards, and overseeing enforcement of stan- dards compliance. Standards, the first nationwide strategy for water quality management, contain four major elements: the use (recreation, drinking water, fish and wildlife propagation, industrial, or agricultural) to be made of the interstate water; criteria to protect those uses; implementation plans (for needed industrial- municipal waste treatment improvements, among others) and enforcement plans; and an antidegradation statement to protect existing high quality waters. Minimum water quality criteria, or numerical specification of physical, chemical, temperature, and biological levels, are stated in the National Technical Advisory Committee report to the Secretary of the Interior, Water Quality Criteria, dated April 1, 1968, and published by the Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Unavailability of the NTAC report before June 30, 1967--the date set by the Water Quality Act of 1965 for formal adoption of State standards--resulted in significant variations between the state-adopted and the NTAC minimum criteria. Some standards were adopted and approved before the NTAC report became available. Also, the Water Quality Criteria report is subject to updating in light of new scientific and technical information. Since water quality standards experience revisions and upgrading from time to time, following procedures set forth in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, individual entries in this digest may be superseded. As these revisions are accomplished, this digest will be updated and reissued. Because this publication is not intended for use other than as a general information resource, for the latest information, and for special purposes and applications, refer to the existing approved water quality standards which can be obtained from the State water pollution control agencies or EPA Washington, .D.C. or regional Offices. Because of the severe toxic effects of oil on live organisms and the need to protect the nation's fish and aquatic life, and wildlife resources, the NTAC Water Quality Criteria report recommended: "In view of available data, it is concluded that to provide suitable conditions for aquatic life, oil and petrochemicals should not be added in such quantities to the receiving waters that they will: (1) produce a visible color film on the surface, (2) impart an oily odor to water or an oily taste to fish and edible invertebrates, (3) coat the banks and bottom of the water course or taint any of the associated biota, or (4) become effective toxicants according to the criteria recommended in the Toxicity' section." All States cover permissible levels of oil in receiving waters by means of general narrative criteria. In most States, oil discharges could actually be covered by more than one of the general narrative criteria usually contained in the State standards. However, the following compilation lists those criteria most directly related to oil discharged to receiving waters for each of the States. ------- KEY PWS Public Water Supply F&WL Fish and Wildlife Adjr. Agricultural Ind. Industrial mg/1 Milligrams per liter (For explanation of use classifications, see EPA publication, "General Stream Use Designations.") ------- OIL CRITERIA Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut State waters shall be free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or interfere directly or indirectly with any classified water use. PWS Below normally detectable amounts. Swimming No -visible concentrations of oil sludge that may adversely affect use indicated. None permitted. Shellfish No visible evidence of wastes. Less than acute or chronic problem levels. Agri. None in sufficient quantities to cause soil plugging. Ind. No visible evidence. Free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum, and other floating materials attributable to domestic or industrial waste or other controllable sources in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or in amounts sufficient to interfere with any beneficial use of the water. The stream shall be essentially free of the relatively nonvolatile liquid components that contribute to the formation of oil films, deposits and emulsions. (Varies from basin to basin, but generally of following type): The waters shall be free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum, or other carried or floating materials. Free from unsightly floating debris, oil, grease, scum, and other floating material attributable to municipal, domestic, or industrial wastes, or other controllable sources. Class A*and SA (public water supply) - none allowable. Other - sludge deposits, floating solids, oils, grease and scum shall not be allowed except for such small amounts that may result from the discharge of appropriately treated sewage or industrial waste effluents. *For explanation of use classifications, see EPA publication, "General Stream Use Designations." ------- Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas The waters shall not contain substances attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other discharges in concentrations or amounts sufficient to be adverse or harmful to water uses to be protected, or to human, animal, aquatic and wildlife. The waters shall be free from unsightly and malodorous nuisances due to floating solids or sludge deposits, debris, oil. and scum. Free from floating debris, oil, scum, and other floating materials Attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural, or other discharge in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. Shall not exceed 15 mg/1 or that no visible oil defined as iridescence be present to cause taste and odors or interfere with other bene- ficial uses. All waters shall be free from oil, scum and floating debris associated with municipal or domestic sewage, industrial waste or other discharges in amounts suffi- cient to be unsightly or to interfere with'legitimate water uses. All waters shall be free of floating debris, oil, scum and other matter attributable to discharges or wastes. Interstate waters shall not contain visible concen- trations of oil, sludge deposits, scum, foam or other wastes that may adversely affect the use indicated. Freedom from unnatural sludge or bottom deposits, floating debris, visible oil, odor, unnatural plant or algal growth, unnatural color or turpidity, or matter in concentrations or combinations toxic or harmful to human, animal, plant, or aquatic life of other than natural origin. For public and food processing water supply use, 0.1 mg/1 (hexame-solubles or equivalent) Free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. Free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial or other discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. The river shall be essentially free of visible oil and grease. Dissolved or emulsified grease concentrations shall be kept below levels which will interfere with established beneficial use. ------- Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural or other discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. Free from floating debris, oil, scum, and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial, agricul- tural, mining or other effluents in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. The stream shall be virtually free of oil and grease. Emulsified oil and grease concentrations shall be kept below levels which will interfere with beneficial uses of the stream. A - Closed - None. A - Open, C, D, E and F - None in sufficient quantities to adversely affect the use indicated. B - None in sufficient quantities to adversely affect established levels of treatment. No residue attributable to waste water or visible film of oil or globules of grease shall be present. Emul- sified oil and grease shall be less than 15 mg/1. Free of visible floating oil. Class A - PWS - None. Class B - Primary Contact Recreation - No objectionable physical characteristics. Class C - Secondary Contact Recreation - Free from slicks, odors, . . . Class D - Navigation - Free from slick, odors, . . . None of which are noticeable in the water or are de- posited along the shore or on the aquatic substrata in quantities detrimental to the natural biota. Receiving waters shall be free of objectionable floating solids, oils, and grease where these materials come from other than natural sources. Class AA - None attributable to sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes. Classes A, B, C and D - None which are readily visible and attributable to sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes or which deleteriously increase the amounts of these constituents in receiving waters after opportunity for reasonable dilution and mixture with the wastes discharged thereto. 4 ------- Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota The river shall be free of floating debris, scum, and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial, or other waste disposal practices in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or detrimental to established beneficial use. Free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial or other discharges or agricultural practices in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious. There shall be no slicks of free or floating oil present in sufficient quantities to interfere with the designated uses, nor shall emulsified oil be present in sufficient quantities to interfere with the designated uses. Free from sludge deposits, solid refuse and floating solids such as oils, grease or scum. Free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum and other floating materials attributable to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in amounts sufficient to be unsightly to such a degree as to create a nuisance, or that interfere directly or indirectly with water uses. Classes A, B, SA, SB - none allowable. Glasses C, D, SC, SD - none allowable except those amounts that may result from the discharge from waste treatment facilities providing appropriate treatment. No evidence of such material except of natural origin. No visible film of oil or globules of grease. No raw or treated sewage, industrial waste or other wastes shall be discharged into any interstate waters of the State so as to cause any nuisance conditions, such as the presence of significant amounts of floating solids, scum, oil slicks, excessive suspended solids, material discoloration, obnoxious odors, gas ebullition, deleterious sludge deposits, undesirable slimes or fungus growths, or other offensive or harmful effects. Fisheries and Recreation: Class A Class B Class C Not to exceed a trace. None in such quantities as to (1) produce a visible color film on the surface, (2) impart an oily odor to water or an oily taste to fish and edible invertebrates, (3) coat the banks and bottom of the watercourse or taint any of the associated biota, or (4) become effective toxicants according to the criteria recommended. ------- North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania None alone or in combination with other substances or wastes in sufficient amounts or at such temperatures as to be injurious to fish life, make the waters unsafe or unsuitable as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary or food processing purposes or impair the waters for any other best usage as determined for the specific waters which are assigned to this class. Class A-I - None Class A-II - Only such amounts, whether alone or in combination with other substances of wastes, and only such temperatures as will not render the waters unsafe or unsuitable as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary, or food processing purposes, injurious to fish and wildlife or adversely affect the palatability of same, or impair the waters for any other best usage established for this class. Other Classes - Essentially the same as above. There shall be no material or substances attributable to municipal, industrial, or other wastes discharged into any rivers, streams, lakes, or other bodies of water in the State that will result in floating debris, solids, oil slicks, scum or other floating materials that will be unsightly or have a deleterious effect on water usage. Free from floating debris, oil, scum, and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial, or other discharges in amounts sufficient to be unsightly, or deleterious. Essentially free of floating or emulsified oil or grease. No wastes shall be discharged and no activities shall be conducted which either alone or in combination with other wastes or activities will cause in any waters of the state objectionable discoloration, turbidity, scum, oily slick or floating solids, or coat the aquatic life with oil films. The water shall not contain substances attributable to municipal, industrial or other waste discharges in concentration or amounts sufficient to be inimical or harmful to the water uses to be protected or to human, animal, plant or aquatic life. Specific substances to be controlled include, but are not limited to, floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials; toxic substances; substances that produce color, tastes, odors or settle to form sludge deposits. ------- Rhode Island Classes A § B - None allowable. South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Classes C § D - Sludge deposits, floating solids, oils, grease and scum shall not be allowed except for such small amounts that may result from the discharge of appropriately treated sewage or industrial waste effluents. The waters of the State shall at all times be free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum and other floating materials attributable to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in amounts sufficient to be unsightly to such a degree as to create a nuisance or that interfere directly or indirectly with water uses. No raw or treated sewage, garbage, industrial wastes or agricultural wastes shall be discharged into any waters of the state which produce floating solids, scum, oil slicks, material discoloration, undesirable odors, visible gassing, sludge deposits, slimes, fungus growths or other offensive effects. Water supply - There shall be no distinctly visible solids, scum, foam, oily slick or the formation of slimes, bottom deposits or sludge banks of such size or character as may inpair the usefulness of the water as a source of.domestic water supply. Other classes - Essentially the same wording as above. Substantially free from oil. It shall be unlawful to discharge or place any wastes or other substances in such a way as to result in floating debris, oil, scum and other matters. Classes A and B - none allowable. Classes C and D - Sludge deposits, floating solids, oils, grease and scum shall not be allowed except for such small amounts that may result from the discharge of appropriately treated sewage or industrial waste effluents. All State waters shall at all times be free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum, and other floating materials attributable to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in amounts sufficient to be unsightly, or which interfere directly or indirectly with specified uses of such waters. Toxic, radioactive or deleterious material concentrations shall be less than those which may affect public health, the natural aquatic environment, or the desirability - of the water for any usage. ------- West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia Guam Puerto Rico Virgin Islands No sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes entering any of the waters of the State shall cause therein or materially contribute to distinctly visible floating or settleable solids, suspended solids, scum, foam or oily slicks of unreasonable kind of quantity. Floating or submerged debris, oil, scum or other material shall not be present in such amounts as to create a nuisance. Essentially free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum, and other floating materials of other than natural origin in amounts sufficient to be unsightly. Free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum, and other floating materials attributable to sewage, industrial waste, or other waste in amounts sufficient to be unsightly to such a degree as to create a nuisance, or that interfere directly or indirectly with water uses. Free from visible floating materials, oils, grease, scum, foam, and other floating matter attributable to sewage, industrial wastes, or other wastes. Waters shall not contain floating solids, settleable solids, oil, sludge deposits attributable to municipal, industrial or other waste discharges. Waters shall not contain any type of garbage, cinder, oil, sludge or other refuse. Free from floating debris, oil, scum and other floating materials attributable to municipal, industrial or other discharges. ------- |