The overall goal of the Federal Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. Water quality standards are a key tool used by States to meet this goal and are a fundamental component of watershed management. Water quality standards are the foundation for numerous activities conducted by Georgia EPD including development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), issuance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and assessment of State waters as part of the 305(b)/303(d) listing process .

Water quality standards are made up of three components:

1. Designated uses: States must identify and designate the what the uses for each waterbody are. There are 6 designated uses in Georgia including (1) fishing, (2) drinking water supply, (3) recreation, (4) coastal fishing, (5) wild river and (6) scenic river

2. Numeric and Narrative water quality criteria: States must set criteria, either narrative or numeric, to protect each designated use. Numeric water quality criteria have been adopted for a number of parameters including dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, bacteria, metals, pesticides and other organic chemicals. An example of a narrative criterion is the prohibition of discharging toxic materials in toxic amounts.

3. Antidegradation Policy: States must devlop a antidegradation policy and an implementation method to protect and maintain water quality using a tiered approach. The purpose of the antidegradation policy is to develop a set of procedures to be followed when evaluating activities that may impact the quality of the waters of the State. Antidegradation implementation is an integral component of a comprehensive approach to protecting and enhancing water quality.

In accordance with Federal Regulation 40 CFR 131.21(c), the current water quality standards that Georgia EPD uses to accomplish activities authorized by the Clean Water Act (such as issuing NPDES permits, drafting TMDLs and assessing waters) have been adopted by Georgia Board of Natural Resources into the Rules and Regulations for Water Quality Control (Chapter 391-3-6-.03) and approved by U.S. EPA. Chapter 391-3-6-.03 of the Rules and Regulations for Water Quality Control can also be accessed on the Secretary of State’s website.

Please note that while the water quality standards at the Secretary of State’s website have been adopted by the Board of Natural Resources, they may not have received U.S. EPA approval yet.