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WATER ALITY STANDARD 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." 

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1\tAili."E REHSED STATUTES A...~OTA.TED 

TITLE 88 

Sec. 868. Standards of classification of fresh waters. The Commission shall 

have 4 standards for the classification of fresh surface waters. 

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 bacteria per 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 

if such use will not lower its classification. 

1971 c. 461, § 2. 

Class B, the 2nd highest classification, shall be divided Into 2 designated 

groups as B-1 and B-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 coliform bacteria shall not exceed 60 per 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 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 concentration 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 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 of bottom material, or which interferes 

v.ith 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 removal of 

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waste constituents including, 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 classification, nor shall such disposal of sewage or waste 

be injurious to aquatie life or render 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 bacteria is 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 to this 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 shall be no discharge to these waters which 

will cause the hydrogen-ion concentration or "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 of bottom material, or which interferes with 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 or waste be Injurious to aquatic life or render such dangerous for human 

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 such waters are adequately treated. 

The dissolved oxygen content of such waters shall not be less than 5 parts per 

million for trout and salmon waters, and not less than 4 parts per m1llion for non- 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 odor which 

would impair the usages ascribed to this classification, nor shall such matter or 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 these waters to fall outside of the 6.0 to 8.6 range. There shall be no 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 

water use in this class. No radioactive material or substanee shall be discharged 

to these waters which will raise the radio-nuclide concentration above the standI- 5