Washington State Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program

Focus: Restructuring the Surface Water Quality Standards

Restructuring the Surface Water Quality Standards

The Washington State Department of Ecology is proposing to revise the state surface water quality standards. Ecology is planning to change how the standards apply water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life, recreation, and other designated water uses. This change is being proposed to provide greater flexibility in designating beneficial uses to waterbodies, and to ensure water quality criteria applied to protect designated uses are both effective and appropriate. 

How Does the Current Classification-Based Format Work?

The surface water quality standards for the state of Washington (Chapter 173-201A WAC) protect beneficial uses of our state’s rivers, lakes, and marine waters. Beneficial uses refer to activities such as swimming, fishing, aquatic life habitat, and agricultural and domestic water supplies. 

The way the standards currently work is by assigning each waterbody to one of five classes: Class AA, Class A, Class B, Class C, and Lake Class. Each class has a specific list of beneficial uses that must be protected in the waterbody. Each class also has a specific list of water quality criteria limiting the amount of pollution allowed. The criteria are set at levels that protect all of the listed beneficial uses associated with the class.

Each beneficial use has a different sensitivity to water quality degradation. Since the lists of beneficial uses generally change with the different classes, each of the classes also has a different level of stringency. Class AA has the highest quality water and protects the most sensitive uses, such as recreational swimming by humans and the embryonic development of salmon. As you move from Class AA down to Class C, sensitive uses begin to drop from the list of protected beneficial uses and the water quality protection requirements are reduced. We refer to this approach as a "classification system". No flexibility is provided in this system to decide that a waterbody has the potential to be high quality for one use, but not for another, since they are assigned as sets of uses. 

What Would a New "Use-Based" Format Look Like?

While many states use a classification system approach in their state water quality standards, many others use what we are calling a "use-based system". The key difference is that rather than assigning waters to classes that have lists of beneficial uses, we would assign to waterbodies individual beneficial uses independently of each other. This provides the state with greater flexibility to assign the most scientifically defensible combination of beneficial uses, and does not restrict assigning one potentially high quality beneficial use to a waterbody if another use is not capable of also being high quality. 

How will Ecology Ensure Beneficial Uses will be Protected?

As a part of the switch to a use-based system, Ecology is taking a intensive look at the criteria used to represent whether or not certain uses are being protected. The criteria being examined are those somtimes suggested as being inadequately protective in the level of protection they provide, and that also have a sufficient availability of research data to warrant a review. The type of criteria being examined are those for conventional pollutants. These include temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, and physical habitat features. 

How is the Public Involved in this Revision Process?

Ecology established an 86-member advisory panel representing a wide range of interest groups to assist in the restructuring effort. In addition, we have established technical work groups to develop technical discussion papers on key beneficial use issues. The technical discussion papers are intended to help the broad-based advisory panel and the general public make more informed input into the restructuring process. Ecology will develop a first draft to the restructuring process with the assistance of the advisory panel and the technical work groups. Then the draft will be the subject of statewide review at numerous public workshops. After considering all of the technical and policy issues from the advisory panel, work groups, and public workshops, Ecology will develop a final proposal for restructuring the standards to a use-based format. The final proposal would then be discussed and reviewed at formal public hearings prior to being adopted as the new Surface Water Quality Standards for the State of Washington. 

Ecology encourages active public participation in the development of its regulations. We keep an active mailing list for water quality standards issues. This mailing list is used to notify the public of involvement opportunities and to distribute updates on the progress of activities we are conducting. If you would like to be added to this list or have questions about this project please contact: 

Mark Hicks, Standards Coordinator

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

If you have special accommodation needs, contact Mark Hicks at (360) 407-6477 (voice only) or
(360) 407-6006, Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD).