Washington State Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program

Focus: Water Quality Antidegradation Implementation Strategy

Water Quality Antidegradation Implementation Strategy

The Washington State Department of Ecology is proposing to revise the state surface water quality standards. Ecology is developing a process that prevents the unnecessary degradation of our state’s lakes, rivers, and marine waters, and protects the beneficial uses dependent on clean water.

What does "antidegradation" mean?

The water quality standards contain criteria that set the maximum allowable level of pollutants that can occur in a waterbody without causing injury or loss of beneficial uses. These beneficial uses include such things as swimming, fishing, boating, aquatic life habitat, and water supplies. The antidegradation process focuses on how the department will determine when an activity can be allowed to degrade high quality waters down to these minimum water quality criteria. The United States Environmental Protection Agency coined the term "antidegradation" in their rules to states on implementing the federal Clean Water Act. It is a nationwide requirement that all states develop rules and programs that will not only protect beneficial uses but that will also "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biologic integrity of the Nation’s waters." The antidegradation strategy establishes the process for accomplishing this important national goal.

What can a state antidegradation strategy do?

Federal regulations require states include at a minimum three primary components in any antidegradation process: 1) Degradation of water quality never be so great as to violate minimum state water quality criteria established to protect beneficial uses. 2) High quality waters are not to be degraded unless that degradation is necessary and in the overriding public interest. 3) A process must be established enabling waters of special state or national significance to be fully protected against any degradation.

Why should we protect water quality if it is not exceeding standards?

It is in the long-term best interest of the state to ensure we only allow degradation which is necessary and in the public interest. Industrial, municipal, and agricultural enterprises rely on surface waters to absorb the pollutants in their runoff and production wastewater. The cleaner a river, lake, or bay is, the more it is able to absorb additional pollutants without causing detrimental effects to its beneficial uses. In this context, a waterbody’s capacity to absorb more pollutants becomes a precious resource. By reserving this capacity for use only where necessary, we will be appropriately balancing out the competing needs of beneficial use protection and the continued industrial and commercial development of the state.  

Will the antidegradation process prevent the discharge of all pollutants?

The antidegradation process does not directly prohibit the discharge of wastewater. The key component of Ecology’s antidegradation strategy is the requirement to carefully evaluate and implement all reasonable options that will reduce or prevent the degradation of water quality. Activities that cause pollution, however, may be strictly regulated or even prohibited if they are not found to be in the public interest, would cause a violation of water quality standards, or degrade the quality of any waters specifically designated as outstanding resource waters.

Can some waters be protected from degradation entirely?

Ecology envisions an antidegradation strategy having two high levels of protection that can be assigned to outstanding resource waters in the state. Such waters would need to be nominated through a public process to these special categories of protection and adopted into the state water quality standards. In the highest category, "Water Quality Preservation Areas", no water quality deterioration would be permissible from sources required to comply with the water quality standards. In the next highest category, only activities compatible with the nature of the waterbody would be allowed to have any effect on water quality and then only to a insignificant level as defined in the rule. Compatible activities would include such things as visitor facilities and roads in a state or national park.

Will pollution from bioaccumulative toxic chemicals be banned?

Ecology is discussing no longer allowing mixing zones for chemical pollutants that are persistent and which accumulate to high levels in the tissue of aquatic organisms. Mixing zones are areas surrounding a discharge where water quality criteria are suspended to allow pollutants to mix with natural waters. As a part of the public involvement early in this rule development effort, we discussed the option of completely banning water pollution containing these types of compounds. Such a ban would sometimes result in just shifting these compounds to air, soil, or ground water disposal mechanisms where higher risks to human health may occur. Ecology has decided that it would be inappropriate to ban these substances in the surface waters, without having a process that accounts for these secondary effects.

How is Ecology developing an antidegradation strategy?

Ecology has developed a first draft antidegradation process with the assistance of an 86-member advisory panel representing a wide range of interest groups. This draft will serve as the foundation for discussing the antidegradation issue at statewide public workshops. Ecology will also be using this draft to conduct case studies to provide examples of how the antidegradation process would be implemented. The draft will be modified in response to public workshop comments and lessons learned from our case studies. We plan to have a final draft to discuss at public hearings by Spring of 1998. The final draft would then be proposed for addition into Washington’s surface water quality standards.

How can people get involved in developing the strategy?

Ecology wants as much involvement as possible on this important issue. Participating at a public workshop is the best way to become involved. In addition, Ecology encourages people to review the public draft when available and provide written comments and questions. Formal public hearings will also be scheduled prior to a final process being adopted into state regulations. In addition, businesses and municipalities can provide special assistance by volunteering to help test the draft strategy.  

Who do I contact to become involved and obtain more information?

If you would like to become involved or obtain more information on the antidegradation process contact:

Mark Hicks Department of Ecology (360) 407-6477
Water Quality Program
PO Box 47600
Olympia WA 98504-7600

email: mhic461@ecy.wa.gov