Water Quality Standards Regulations, Determinations, and Information Collection

 Water Quality Standard Regulations

• Water Quality Standards: CFR Title 40 Part 131
• Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System: CFR Title 40 Part 132
• Proposed changes under consideration to Water Quality Standards Regulation
  • Press Release (July 30, 2010)
  • Fact sheet | Print Version (PDF) (2 pp, 21K) (July, 2010)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (3 pp, 57K) (July 30, 2010)
  • Listening sessions

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Federally Proposed or Promulgated Standards

Listed in chronological order, newest first.

• Re-Proposed Rulemaking to Extend the Effective Date for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters Final Rule
  • Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 205K) (May 2012)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF)  (5 pp, 229K) (May 17, 2012)
• Proposed Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to California, New Jersey and Puerto Rico
  • Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 121K) (March 2012)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF)  (6 pp, 212K) (April 5, 2012)
• Final Rulemaking to Delay the Effective Date for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters Final Rule
  • Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 28K) (March 2012)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF)  (4 pp, 242K) (March 7, 2012)
• Proposed Rulemaking to Extend the Effective Date for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters Final Rule
  • Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 38K) (December 2011)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (4 pp,153K) (December 22, 2011)
• Final Withdrawal of Certain Federal Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Wisconsin
  • Fact sheet | Print Version (PDF) (2 pp, 65K) 
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (8 pp, 174K) (September 16, 2011)
• Phosphorus Water Quality Standards for the Florida Everglades
  • Fact sheet | Print Version (PDF) (2 pp, 109K) (July 2011)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (6 pp, 192K) (July 1, 2011)
• Proposed Withdrawal of Certain Federal Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Wisconsin
  • Fact sheet | Print Version (PDF) (2 pp, 28K) (March 2011)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (8 pp, 83K) (March 16, 2011)
• Final Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters
• Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters; Supplemental Notice of Data Availability and Request for Comment
  • Fact sheet | Print Version (PDF) (2 pp, 40K) (July 2010)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (5 pp, 69K) (August 3, 2010)
• Withdrawal of the Federal Antidegradation Policy for all Waters within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | Print Version (PDF) (1 pp, 31K)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (3 pp, 57K) (May 28, 2010)
• Proposed Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters
• Withdrawal of the Federal Water Quality Standards Use Designations for Certain Water Bodies in Idaho
  • Fact Sheet (November 5, 2008)
  • Docket at Regulations.gov (Docket #: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0495)
• Federal Regulations establishing methods to implement Puerto Rico's antidegradation policy. Federal Register Notice (December 12, 2007)
• Withdrawal of Federal Marine Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Washington State
  • Direct Final Rule: Federal Register Notice (July 09, 2007)
  • Proposed Rule: Federal Register Notice (July 09, 2007)
  • Docket at Regulations.gov
• Final Water Quality Standards Bacteria Rule for Coastal and Great Lakes Recreation Waters (November 8, 2004)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Alaska, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico (October 29, 2004)
• Development of Water Quality Standards for Indian Country 
• Approval of West Virginia Water Quality Standards Federal Register notice (April 6, 2004)
• Water Quality Standards for Oregon (March 2, 2004)
• Water Quality Standards for Puerto Rico
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice (January 26, 2004)
  • Proposal
    • Fact Sheet
    • Federal Register Notice (October 20, 2003)
• Withdrawal of Federal Nutrient Standards for the State of Arizona (November 6, 2003)
• Withdrawal of Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Copper and Nickel Applicable to South San Francisco Bay, California
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice (November 6, 2003)
  • Proposal
    • Fact Sheet
    • Federal Register Notice (June 25, 2003)
• Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Kansas (July 2003)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and New Jersey
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice (December 3, 2002)
• Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Kentucky (November 2002)
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice
• Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Alabama (October 2002)
• Withdrawal of Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Michigan.
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice (November 8, 2002)
• Withdrawal of the Federal Designated Use for Shields Gulch in Idaho.
  • Fact Sheet (PDF) (84K)
  • Federal Register Notice, (March 13, 2002)
• Federal standards for Indian country (not issued) (PDF) (40 pp, 528K) - unofficial pre-publication copy of the January 19, 2001, proposed rule to promulgate "core" Federal standards in Indian country. EPA is providing this unofficial pre-publication copy for public reference. This document was never published in the Federal Register, and is not an official version upon which EPA ever sought public comment.
• Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Pollutants for the State of California (California Toxics Rule) (May 2000)
• Review and Approval of State and Tribal Water Quality Standards - "Alaska Rule" (April 2000)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and Idaho (April 12, 2000)
• Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic Pollutants; States' Compliance—Revision of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Criteria (November 1999)
• State and Tribal Water Quality Standards; Notice of EPA Approvals (October 1998)
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) seeking comments from interested parties on possible revisions to the Water Quality Standards Regulation at 40 CFR Part 131 (July 1998)
  • Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (65 pp, 593K)  
• Water Quality Standards Applicable to Surface Waters in Idaho (July 1997)
  • Fact Sheet
  • Federal Register Notice (April 1997)
• Proposed Water Quality Standards for Arizona (January 1996) (PDF) (7 pp, 140K) 
• Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for Arizona (May 1996) (PDF) (10 pp, 147K)
• San Francisco Bay/Delta Rule (January 1995)
• National Toxics Rule (Preamble) | National Toxics Rule (CFR) (December 1992)

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Federal Clean Water Act Determinations that New or Revised Standards Are Necessary

• Determination that New Water Quality Standards are Necessary to Protect Segments of the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) for Recreation
• Determination that New or Revised Nutrient Water Quality Standards are Necessary for Florida (January 2009)
  • Fact Sheet (January 16, 2009)
  • Decision Letter (PDF) (10 pp, 198K) (signed Januay 14, 2009)
  • Florida Department of Environmental Protection Numeric Nutrient Criteria Development Plan  
• Determinations that New Water Quality Standards are Necessary to Protect the Mississippi River for Recreation
• • For segments upstream and downstream of St. Louis
  • • Press Release (December 15, 2008)
    • Decision Letter (PDF)  (6 pp, 2.2MB) (signed December 12, 2008)
  • For the segment near St. Louis
    • Fact Sheet
    • Press Release (October 29, 2009)
    • Decision Letter (PDF)  (10 pp, 218K) (signed October 29, 2009)

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Paperwork Reduction Act Information Collection Requests (ICRs)

Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Water Quality Standards (Renewal)
Federal Register Notice | Print Version (PDF) (4 pp, 197K) (June 30, 2011)

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