Hawaii Administrative Rules › Title 11 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Subtitle 1 - GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL PROVISIONS › Chapter 54 - WATER QUALITY STANDARDS › Section 11-54-5.2 - Inland water criteria

Current through June, 2024
(a) Criteria for
				springs and seeps, ditches and flumes, natural freshwater lakes, reservoirs,
				low wetlands, coastal wetlands, saline lakes, and anchialine pools. Only the
				basic criteria set forth in section
				11-54-4
				apply to springs and seeps, ditches and flumes, natural freshwater lakes,
				reservoirs, low wetlands, coastal wetlands, saline lakes, and anchialine pools.
				Natural freshwater lakes, saline lakes, and anchialine pools will be maintained
				in the natural state through Hawaii's "no discharge" policy for these waters.
				Waste discharge into these waters is prohibited, except as provided in section
				11-54-4(e)(see
				section
				11-54-3(b)(1)).
(b) Specific criteria for streams. Water
				column criteria for streams shall be as provided in the following table:
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
250.0*
520.0*
80,0.0*
(µg N/L)
180.0**
380.0**
600.0**
Nitrate + Nitrite
70.0*
180.0*
300.0*
Nitrogen
30 .0**
90.0**
170.0**
(µg
							 [N03+N02]-N/L)
Total Phosphorus
50.0*
100.0*
150.0*
(µg P/L)
30.0**
60.0**
80.0**
Total
20.0*
50.0*
80.0*
Suspended Solids
10.0**
30.0**
55.0**
(mg/L)
Turbidity
5.0*
15.0*
25.0*
(N.T.U.)
2.0**
5.5**
10.0**
* Wet season - November 1 through April 30.
** Dry season - May 1 through October 31.
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 pH Units - shall not deviate
				  more than 0.5 units from ambient conditions and shall not be lower than 5.5 nor
				  higher than 8.0
Dissolved Oxygen - Not less than eighty per cent saturation,
				  determined as a function of ambient water temperature.
Temperature - Shall not vary more than one degree Celsius
				  from ambient conditions. Specific Conductance - Not more than three hundred
				  micromhos/centimeter.
(1) Bottom
				criteria for streams:
(A) Episodic deposits
				of flood-borne soil sediment shall not occur in quantities exceeding an
				equivalent thickness of five millimeters (0.20 inches) over hard bottoms
				twenty-four hours after a heavy rainstorm.
(B) Episodic deposits of flood-borne soil
				sediment shall not occur in quantities exceeding an equivalent thickness of ten
				millimeters (0.40 inches) over soft bottoms twenty-four hours after a heavy
				rainstorm.
(C) In soft bottom
				material in pool sections of streams, oxidation-reduction potential (EH) in the
				top ten centimeters (four inches) shall not be less than +100
				millivolts.
(D) In soft bottom
				material in pool sections of streams, no more than fifty per cent of the grain
				size distribution of sediment shall be smaller than 0.125 millimeters (0.005
				inches) in diameter.
(E) The
				director shall prescribe the appropriate parameters, measures, and criteria for
				monitoring stream bottom biological communities including their habitat, which
				may be affected by proposed actions. Permanent benchmark stations may be
				required where necessary for monitoring purposes. The water quality criteria
				for this subsection shall be deemed to be met if time series surveys of
				benchmark stations indicate no relative changes in the relevant biological
				communities, as noted by biological community indicators or by indicator
				organisms which may be applicable to the specific site.