MIL-HDBK-1005/9A
Enforcement of the Clean Water Act through standards
and permits is an essential way to ensure that the objectives of
the Act are met. The Clean Water Act imposes effluent
limitations upon direct industrial dischargers based on national
technology-based standards and water quality based standards.
Technology-based standards establish minimum treatment levels
for direct industrial dischargers without regarding water
quality of the public waterways receiving the waste. These
standards are based on treatment technologies that have been
developed and are capable of being utilized by an entire
industry. Water quality standards are applied to ensure that
the water quality of specific bodies of water is protected and
that the body of water can support its intended use.
Water quality standards provide the basis for
establishing discharge limits in the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The NPDES is the
regulatory mechanism for the Clean Water Act. The NPDES
requires anyone discharging pollutants from a point source into
waters of the United States to obtain a permit. Permits
obtained through the NPDES are legally enforceable.
1.5.1
Water Quality Based Standards. U.S. waters have
adopted water quality based standards to restore and maintain
the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters
so that the propagation of fish and wildlife can be protected.
Water quality standards consist of two essential components:
designated uses and specific water quality criteria. A
designated use describes the value of the water body and how it
is used. Under Section 303 of the Clean Water Act, states are
required to establish designated uses for the water bodies in
their jurisdiction. The designated uses can be as specific as
is needed for the individual water body through use of
subcategories or naming individual species of aquatic life that
require protection. Water bodies, which are affected by
naturally occurring pollutants or have low flow water levels can
have designated uses which are not attainable. In these cases,
the water quality is at a lower level than is necessary to
protect the water body's designated use. The naturally
occurring pollutants make protection through permits and
regulations difficult. Instead, it is more realistic to modify
the designated use to one that is more easily attainable.
4
Previous Page
