Hawaii Administrative Rules › Title 11 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Subtitle 1 - GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL PROVISIONS › Chapter 54 - WATER QUALITY STANDARDS › Section 11-54-6 - Uses and specific criteria applicable to marine waters

Current through June, 2024
(a)
				Embayments.
(1) As used in this subsection:
				"Embayments" means land-confined and physically-protected marine waters with
				restricted openings to open coastal waters, defined by the ratio of total bay
				volume to the cross-sectional entrance area of seven hundred to one or greater.
"Total bay volume" is measured in cubic meters and
				  "cross-sectional entrance area" is measured in square meters, and both are
				  determined at mean lower low water.
(2) Water areas to be protected.
(A) Class AA.
(i) Waters are listed in Appendix B dated
				July 1, 2014, entitled "Class AA, Marine Waters and Embayments", located at the
				end of this chapter.
(ii) All
				embayments in preserves, reserves, sanctuaries, and refuges established by the
				department of land and natural resources under chapter
				195 or chapter
				190, HRS, as listed in Appendix B
				dated July 1, 2014, entitled "Class AA, Marine Waters and Embayments", located
				at the end of this chapter, or similar reserves for the protection of marine
				life established under chapter
				190, HRS as listed in Appendix B
				dated July 1, 2014, entitled "Class AA, Marine Waters and Embayments", located
				at the end of this chapter.
(iii)
				All waters in state or federal fish and wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries
				as listed in Appendix B dated July 1, 2014, entitled "Class AA, Marine Waters
				and Embayments", located at the end of this chapter.
(iv) All waters which have been officially
				identified as a unique or critical habitat for threatened or endangered species
				by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as listed in Appendix B dated July 1,
				2014, entitled "Class AA, Marine Waters and Embayments", located at the end of
				this chapter.
(B) Class
				A.
Waters are listed in Appendix C dated July 1, 2014, entitled
				  "Class A, Marine Waters and Embayments", located at the end of this
				  chapter.
(3) The
				following criteria are specific for all embayments excluding those described in
				subsection (d). (Note that criteria for embayments differ based on fresh water
				inflow.)
Parameter
Geometric mean not to exceed the given value
Not to exceed the given value more than ten per cent
							 of the time
Not to Exceed the given value more than Two per cent
							 of The time
Total Nitrogen
200,00*
350.00*
500.00*
(µg N/L)
150.00**
250.00**
350.00**
Ammonia Nitrogen
6.00*
13.00*
20.00*
(µg NH"-N/L)
3.50**
8.50**
15.00**
Nitrate + Nitrite
8.00*
20.00*
35.00*
Nitrogen
5.00**
14.00**
25.00**
[µg
							 [N03+N02]-N/L)
Total Phosphorus
25.00*
50.00*
75.00*
(µg P/L)
20.00**
40.00**
60.00**
Chlorophyll a
1.50*
4.50*
8.50*
µg/L)
0.50**
1.50**
3.00**
Turbidity
1.5*
3.00*
5.00*
(N.T.U.)
0.40**
1.00**
1.50**
* "Wet" criteria apply when the average fresh water inflow
				  from the land equals or exceeds one per cent of the embayment volume per
				  day.
** "Dry" criteria apply when the average fresh water inflow
				  from the land is less than one per cent of the embayment volume per day.
Applicable to both "wet" and "dry" conditions: pH Units -
				  shall not deviate more than 0.5 units from a value of 8.1, except at coastal
				  locations where and when freshwater from stream, stormdrain or groundwater
				  discharge may depress the pH to a minimum level of 7.0.
Dissolved Oxygen - Not less than seventy-five per cent
				  saturation, determined as a function of ambient water temperature and
				  salinity.
Temperature - Shall not vary more than one degree Celsius
				  from ambient conditions.
Salinity - Shall not vary more than ten per cent from
				  natural or seasonal changes considering hydrologic input and oceanographic
				  factors.
L = liter
N.T.U. = Nephelometric Turbidity Units. A comparison of the
				  intensity of light scattered by the sample under defined conditions with the
				  intensity of light scattered by a standard reference suspension under the same
				  conditions. The higher the intensity of scattered light, the higher the
				  turbidity.
µg = microgram or 0.000001 grams