# •

WATER ALITY ST ANDARD SUMMARY

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

## JOINT PUBLICATION BY

STATE OF MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

# ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION REVISED STATUTES Of 

# 1964
ntle 38 (As Amended)
Chapter 3: Protection &Improvement of Waters
Sectiona: 363-364--38&-369-370..371 CLASSIFICATIONS OF SURFACE WATERS



# Effective September 

# 23, 1971

Wherever In the Revised Statutes or public Jews the words "Water and Air Environmental Improvement Commission" appear they shall mean "Environmental Improvement Commission."



## I-31\tAili."E REHSED STATUTES**A...~OTA.TED** 

### TITLE 88

Sec. 868. Standards of classification of fresh waters. The Commission shall have4 standardsfor theclassificationoffresh surfacewaters.

Class A shall be the highest classification and shall be of such quality that it can be used for recreational purposes, including bathing, and for public water supplies alter disinfection. The dissolved oxygen content of such waters shall not be less than 75% saturation or as naturally occurs, and contain not more than 100 colitorm bacteriaper 100 milliliters.

These waters shall be free from sludge deposits, solid refuse and floating solids such as oils, grease or scum. There shall be no disposal of any matter or substance in these waters which would impart color, turbidity, taste or odor other than that which naturally occurs in said waters, nor shall such matter or substances alter the temperature or hydrogen-ion concentration of these waters or contain chemical constituents which would be harmful or offensive to humans or which would be harmful to animal or aquatic life. No radioactive matter or substance shall be permitted in these waters other than that occurring from natural phenomena.

There shall be no discharge of sewage or other wastes into water of this classitication Wlless specifically licensed by the commission upon finding that no degradation will result to the quality of such waters, and no deposits of such material on the banks of such waters ln such a manner that transfer of the material into the waters is likely. Such waters may be used for log driving ifsuch usewillnotloweritsclassification. 1971 

### c. 461, § 2. Class B, the 2nd highest classification, shall be divided Into 2 designated groups asB-1 andB

-2.

B-1. Waters of this class shall be considered the higher quality of the Class B group and shall be acceptable for recreational purposes, including water con- tact recreation, for use as potable water supply after adequate treatment and for a fish and wildlife habitat. The dissolved oxygen of such waters shall be not less than 75% of saturation, and not less than 5 parts per million at any time. The total coliform bacteria co1.1nt ts not to exceed 300 per 100 milliliters. The fecal coliformbacteriashall notexceed60per 100milliliters.

These waters shall be free from sludge deposits, solid refuse and floating solids such as oils, grease or scum. There shall be no disposal of any matter or substance ln these waters which imparts color, turbidity, taste or odor which would impair the usages ascribed to this classification nor shall such matter or substance after the temperature or hydrogen-ion concentration of these waters so as to render such waters harmful to fish or other aquatic life. There shall be no discharge to these waters which will cause the hydrogen

-ion concent ration or "pH" of these waters to fall outside of the 6.0 to 8.5 range. There shall be no disposal of any matter or substance that contains chemical constituents which are harmful to humans, animals or aquatic life or which adversely affect any other water use in this class. No radioactive matter or substances shall be discharged to these waters which will raise the radio-nuclide concentrations above the standards as esta blished by the United States Public Health Service as being acceptable for drinking water

. These waters shall be free of any matter or substance which alters the composition ofbottom fauna. which adversely affects the physical or chemical nature of bottom material, or which interferes v.ith thepropagation offish.

There shall be no disposal ofsewage, industrial wastes or other wastes in such waters, except those which have received treatment for the adequate removal of



## 1-4wasteconstituentsincluding,butnotlimited 

### to, solids, color, turbidity, taste, odor or toxic material, such that these treated wastes will not lower the standards or alter the usages of this classification, norshall such disposal ofsewage orwaste be injurious to aquatie life orrender such dangerous for human consumption.

B-2. Waters of this class shall be acceptable for recreational purposes including water contact recreation, for industrial and potable water supplies after adequate treatment, and for a fish and wildlife habitat. The dissolved oxygen of such waters shall not be less than 60% of saturation, and not less than 5 parts per million at any time. The total coliform bacteria is not to exceed 1,000 per 100 milliliters. The fecal coliform bacteriais not to exceed 200 per 100 mill-

.iliters. These waters shall be free from sludge deposits, solid refuse and floating solids such as oils, grease and scum. There shall be no disposal of any matter or substance in these waters which imparts color, turbidity, taste or odor which would impair the usages ascribed tothis classification, nor shall such matter or substance alter the temperature or hydrogen-ion concentration of the waters so as to render such waters harmful to fish or other aquatic life. There shall be no <lisposal of any matter or substance that contains chemical constituents which are harmful t() humans, animal or aquatic life, or which adversely affect any other water use in this class. There shallbe no discharge to these waters which will cause the hydrogen-ion concentrationor "pH" of these-waters to fall outside of the 6.0 to 8.5 range. No radioactive matter or substance shall be discharged to these waters which will raise the radio-nuclide coneentrations above the standards as established by the United States Public Health Service as being acceptable for drinking water. These waters shall be free of any matter or substance which alters the composition of bottom fauna, which adversely affects the physical or chemical nature ofbottom material, or which interfereswith the propagation of fish

.

There shall be no disposal of sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes in such waters except those which have received treatment for the adequate re- moval of waste constituents tncludtng, but not limited to, solids, color, turbidity, taste, odor or toxic material, such that these treated wastes will not lower the standards or alter the usages of this classllication, nor shall such disposal of sewage orwaste be Injurious

### to aquaticlife orrender suchdangerous forhuman consumption.

Class C waters, the 3rd highest classification, shall be of such quality as 

### to be satisfactory for recreational boating and fishing, for a fish and wildlife habitat and for other uses except potable water suppl1es and water contact recrea- tion,unless suchwatersareadequatelytreated.

The dissolved oxygen content of such waters shall notbe less than 5 partsper millionfor troutandsalmonwaters,andnotless than4 partsperm1llion fornon- trout and non-salmon waters. The total coliform bacteria is not to exceed 5,000 per 100 milliliters. The fecal coliform bacteria is not to exceed 1,000 per 100 milliliters.

These waters shall be free from sludge deposits, solid refUse and floating solids such as oils, greese or scum. There shall be no disposal of any matter or substance in these waters which imparts color, turbidity, taste, or odorwhich would impair the usages ascribed to this classification, nor shall such matteror substance alter the temperature or hydrogen-ion content of the waters so as 

### to render such waters harmful to fish or other aquatic life. There shall be no discharge to these waters which will cause the hydrogen-ion concentration or "pH" of thesewaterstofall outsideofthe6.0

### to 8.6range. There shallbeno disposal of any matter or substance that contains chemical constituents which are harmful to humans, animal or aquatic life or which adversely affect any other wateruse in thisclass. Noradioactive materialor substanee shallbe discharged 

### to these waters which will raise the radio

-nuclide concentra tion above the stand

## I

-5