South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-68 - Water Classifications and Standards › Section 61-68.G - CLASS DESCRIPTIONS, DESIGNATIONS, AND SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR SURFACE WATERS

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
1. All surface
			 waters of the State, except as discussed in Section C., shall be identified
			 within one of the classes described below. The Department may determine in
			 accordance with Section
			 312 of the Clean Water Act that for
			 some waterbodies (or portions of waterbodies), the designation of No Discharge
			 Zone (NDZ) for Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) shall be enacted with
			 application of the existing classified standards of the waterbody. Those waters
			 classified by name shall be listed in R.61-69, Classified Waters, along
			 with the NDZ designation, if applicable.
2. Where a surface waterbody is tributary to
			 waters of a higher class, the quality of the water in the tributary shall be
			 protected to maintain the standards of the higher classified receiving
			 water.
3. For items not listed in
			 each class, criteria published pursuant to Sections
			 304(a) and 307(a) of
			 the Federal Clean Water Act or other documents shall be used as guides to
			 determine conditions which protect water uses. Many of these criteria are
			 listed in the appendix to this regulation. For consideration of natural
			 conditions, refer to Sections: C.9., D.4., E.12., E.14.c.(2), E.14.c.(3),
			 F.4.d., G.4., G.6., and G.9. For the following numeric criteria for turbidity
			 (with the exception of Outstanding National Resource Waters, Outstanding
			 Resource Waters, Trout Waters, and Shellfish Harvesting Waters), compliance
			 with these turbidity criteria may be considered to be met as long as the
			 waterbody supports a balanced indigenous aquatic community when land management
			 activities employ Best Management Practices (BMPs). For consideration, BMPs
			 must be in full compliance with all specifications governing the proper design,
			 installation, operation, and maintenance of such BMPs and all applicable permit
			 conditions and requirements must be met.
4. Outstanding National Resource Waters
			 (ONRW) are freshwaters or saltwaters which constitute an outstanding national
			 recreational or ecological resource.
Quality Standards for
							 Outstanding National Resource Waters
ITEMS
STANDARDS
a. Color, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform,
							 enterococci,
E. coli
, pH, temperature, turbidity, and other
							 parameters.
Water quality conditions shall be maintained and
							 protected to the extent of the Department's statutory authority. Numeric and
							 narrative criteria for Class ONRW shall be those applicable to the
							 classification of the waterbody immediately prior to reclassification to Class
							 ONRW, including consideration of natural conditions.
5. In
			 order to maintain the existing quality of Class ONRW waters the following
			 additional standards apply:
ITEMS
STANDARDS
a. Discharge from domestic, industrial, or
							 agricultural waste treatment facilities; aquaculture; open water dredged spoil
							 disposal.
None allowed.
b. Stormwater, and other nonpoint source runoff,
							 including that from agricultural uses, or permitted discharge from aquatic
							 farms, concentrated aquatic animal production facilities, and uncontaminated
							 groundwater from mining.
None allowed.
c. Dumping or disposal of garbage, cinders, ashes,
							 oils, sludge, or other refuse.
None allowed.
d. Activities or discharges from waste treatment
							 facilities in waters upstream or tributary to ONRW waters.
Allowed if there shall be no measurable impact on the
							 downstream ONRW consistent with antidegradation rules.
6.
			 Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) are freshwaters or saltwaters which
			 constitute an outstanding recreational or ecological resource or those
			 freshwaters suitable as a source for drinking water supply purposes with
			 treatment levels specified by the Department.
Quality Standards for
							 Outstanding Resource Waters
ITEMS
STANDARDS
a. Color, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform,
							 enterococci,
E. coli
, pH, temperature, turbidity, and other
							 parameters.
Water quality conditions shall be maintained and
							 protected to the extent of the Department's statutory authority. Numeric and
							 narrative criteria for Class ORW shall be those applicable to the
							 classification of the waterbody immediately prior to reclassification to Class
							 ORW, including consideration of natural conditions.
7. In
			 order to maintain the existing quality of Class ORW waters the following
			 additional standards apply:
a. Discharge from domestic, industrial, agricultural
							 waste treatment facilities; aquaculture; open water dredged spoil
							 disposal.
None allowed.
b. Stormwater, and other nonpoint source runoff,
							 including that from agricultural uses, or permitted discharge from aquatic
							 farms, concentrated aquatic animal production facilities, and uncontaminated
							 groundwater from mining.
Allowed if water quality necessary for existing and
							 classified uses shall be maintained and protected consistent with
							 antidegradation rules.
c. Dumping or disposal of garbage, cinders, ashes,
							 oils, sludge, or other refuse.
None allowed.
d. Activities or discharges from waste treatment
							 facilities in waters upstream or tributary to ORW waters.
Allowed if water quality necessary for existing and
							 classified uses shall be maintained and protected consistent with
							 antidegradation rules.
8.
			 Trout Waters. The State recognizes three types of trout waters: Natural; Put,
			 Grow, and Take; and Put and Take.
a. Natural
			 (TN) are freshwaters suitable for supporting reproducing trout populations and
			 a cold water balanced indigenous aquatic community of fauna and flora. Also
			 suitable for primary and secondary contact recreation and as a source for
			 drinking water supply after conventional treatment in accordance with the
			 requirements of the Department. Suitable for fishing and the survival and
			 propagation of a balanced indigenous aquatic community of fauna and flora.
			 Suitable also for industrial and agricultural uses.
b. Put, Grow, and Take (TPGT) are freshwaters
			 suitable for supporting growth of stocked trout populations and a balanced
			 indigenous aquatic community of fauna and flora. Also suitable for primary and
			 secondary contact recreation and as a source for drinking water supply after
			 conventional treatment in accordance with the requirements of the Department.
			 Suitable for fishing and the survival and propagation of a balanced indigenous
			 aquatic community of fauna and flora. Suitable also for industrial and
			 agricultural uses.
c. Put and Take
			 (TPT) are freshwaters suitable for primary and secondary contact recreation and
			 as a source for drinking water supply after conventional treatment in
			 accordance with the requirements of the Department. Suitable for fishing and
			 the survival and propagation of a balanced indigenous aquatic community of
			 fauna and flora. Suitable also for industrial and agricultural uses. The
			 standards of Freshwaters classification protect these uses.