MIL-HDBK-1005/9A
The second component of water quality standards is
water quality criteria. Under Section 303 of the Clean Water
Act, states are also required to adopt water quality criteria.
Water quality criteria describe the water quality that will
support a water body's designated use. This criteria can be
expressed in numeric or narrative form based on the latest
scientific findings regarding the effects of pollutants on
aquatic life and human health.
Other important parts of water quality standards are
the anti-degradation policies. These policies are formed to
conserve, maintain, and protect existing uses of water bodies.
When water quality of a water body is above and beyond that
required to protect the designated use, the anti-degradation
policy works to maintain the present condition of the water
body. Anti-degradation policies also protect outstanding
national resource waters, such as waters in national and state
parks and wildlife refuges.
Water quality standards must be reviewed and updated
at least once every 3 years. Revisions or new standards may be
necessary under several circumstances: new scientific and
technical information becoming available, improvements being
made in the water quality, changes being made to the
regulations, or environmental changes occurring in the
ecological structure of the water body or its surroundings.
Water quality standards play an important role in protecting the
waters being affected by the pollutants.
1.5.2
Technology-Based Standards. Technology-based
standards establish minimum amounts of pollutants allowed to be
discharged from industrial facilities. When determining the
limits, these standards do not take into consideration the water
bodies being affected. Industrial facilities that discharge
wastewater directly into public waterways instead of into
publicly owned treatment facilities are subject to technology-
based standards. The standards are established and applied
evenly throughout facilities within an industry. Each industry
may have its own unique standards based upon the pollutants that
are discharged and the best treatment technology available for
the entire industry. However, subcategories within industries
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