Strengthening Water Quality Through WOS Variances

Water quality standards (WQS)

variances provide
a plan for incremental progress
to improve water quality.

Regulation specifies the
data and documentation
required to justify the
need for a WQS variance.

The time needed to achieve
water quality improvements
determines the length of the
WQS variance.

SEPA

Office of Water 823-F-24-001

WQS variances focus on
what can be done to
improve water quality.

A WQS variance can't
make water quality worse

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