# Presentation: 146975

## State Water Quality AssessmentsUnder the Clean Water Act

- Charles Spooner
- Assessment and Watershed Protection Division
- Monitoring Branch

-  National Water Quality Monitoring Council

## 303(d) Listing & TMDLs

- Objectives:
- Present a brief overview of assessment methodologies under Sections 303(d) and 305(b) of the CWA Discuss process of identifying impaired waters
- Describe State reporting & submission options

- Module Objectives

## CWA Framework

- CWA Framework

- 303(d) Program
- 40 CFR 130.7

- Defines the water
- quality goal

- Compile data/information
- and assess waterbody
- condition

- Implementation

## WATER QUALITY STANDARDS	....what we’re aiming for

**Develop**
**TMDLs**

**Implement**
**TMDLs**

**Monitor**
**Results**

**Monitoring**
**and**
**Assessment**

**WQS**

**Write**
**Permits**

**Report Water Quality & Identify**
**Impaired**
**Waters**

## Regulations (40 CFR 130.7)

- Each State shall identify those water quality-limited segments still requiring TMDLs within its boundaries for which:
- Technology based effluent limitations
- More stringent effluent limitations
- Other pollution control requirements
- Are not stringent enough to implement any water quality standards applicable to such waters

- Regulatory Requirements

## Regulations (40 CFR 130.7)

- _For waters identified in the 303(d) list:_
- “TMDLs shall be established for all *pollutants* preventing or expected to prevent attainment of water quality standards...”
- “TMDLs shall be established at levels necessary to attain and maintain the applicable narrative and numerical WQS...”

- Regulatory Requirements

## Pollutant

- 	“Means dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, filter backwash, sewage sludge, munitions,  chemical wastes, biological materials, (some) radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water.”
-       (CWA Sec. 502(6))

- Regulatory Requirements

## State Options for Reporting WQ Status

| Separate 305(b) & 303(d) | Integrated Report |
| --- | --- |
| A State’s Section 303(d) list is comprised of waters impaired or threatened by a pollutant, and needing a TMDL | A single state developed report that integrates the reporting requirements of CWA Sections 303(d), 305(b) and 314
 |
| States submit their 303(d) list to EPA for review/approval April 1, every 2 years (2006, 2008, etc).  | EPA’s Integrated Report Guidance (IRG) developed for 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 reporting cycles (www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/) |

- Reporting

**Minimally Required by Regulations**

**Recommended Reporting **
**Format**

- 47 States are using the Integrated Report format

## Five Reporting CategoriesFor Each Assessment Unit (Segment)

| Category | Description |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | All designated uses (DU) met  |
| 2 | Some, but not all, DUs met  |
| 3 | Can not determine if any DUs met  |
| 4 | Impaired/threatened –TMDL not needed |
|     4a |     TMDL completed |
|     4b |     TMDL alternative |
|     4c |     Non-pollutant causes |
| 5 | Impaired/threatened by pollutant –TMDL needed |

- IRG Guidance

## Segment start 

- Segment start

- Segment end

_**Conceptual Example**_**: Multiple Categories**

| Designated
Use 1
Use 2
Use 3 | 
Use not supported
TMDL completed
Insufficient information | 
Category 5
Category 4a
Category 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |

## National Picture of Assessed and Impaired Waters

- Nationwide, % of waters assessed to see if water quality standards being met (2002 305(b) list):
- 19% of rivers/stream miles
- 37% Lakes/ponds/reservoirs acres
- 35% Estuarine square miles:
- 9% Great Lakes shoreline miles
-  Assessed waters that are impaired, by waterbody type:
- 45% Rivers/streams
- 47%  Lakes/ponds/reservoirs
- 32% Estuaries
-  91% Great Lakes shoreline
- Most of these waters will go on the 303(d) list

- Listing Process

## Listing of Impaired Waters

- Over 38,000 listed segments, with one or more  impairments
- Approximately 64,000 waterbody-pollutant combinations reported
- Indication of TMDLs that will need to be completed
- Top 5 causes of impairment (updated October, 2007)
- Mercury: 13%
- Pathogens:  13%
- Sediment : 11 %
- Metals (other than Mercury):  10%
- Nutrients:  8%
- Low dissolved oxygen:  7%

- Summary Statistics

- Summary Statistics

**Notes:**
Total Number of Impaired Waters Reported: 38,688 (10/25/2007)

Total Causes of Impairment Reported Nationwide: 63,629 (10/25/2007)

Note: Approximately 2 impairments per waterbody segment

## TMDLs needed by pollutant type and number of TMDLs that have been developed

- Approx. 64,000 TMDLs needed;  over 26,000 developed (10/2007)

**Notes:**
Last updated 10/25/2007

## Listing of Impaired Waters

- 1. _States_ identify waters not meeting WQS based on “*all existing and readily available information**”*
- 2. _States_ establish priorities for TMDLs on basis of the use and severity of problem
- 3. _States_ develop schedule of TMDLs to be developed within 2 years
- 4. _States_ provide long term plan – complete TMDLs 8 to 13 years from first listing
- 5. EPA has 30 days to approve or disapprove list submitted April 1st of each even year
- If EPA disapproves State list, EPA has 30 days to develop list for the State

- Listing Process

- State driven process

## Any Questions?

**Any Questions?**