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Missouri's Water Quality Standards and Monitoring

EPA SEAL EPA Office of Inspector General

Missouri's Water Quality Standards and Monitoring

#8100080

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

People use lakes, rivers, and streams for drinking water, boating, fishing, swimming, irrigation, and industry. States adopt water quality standards to protect these uses of the water, and monitor the water to find out how well the water quality supports the water uses. States and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use the water quality information as a basis for their programs to control and clean up water pollution. We selected Missouri because Office of Water personnel suggested several states, including Missouri, where audits could identify best practices and needed improvements in the states' programs to develop standards and monitor and report on water quality.

OBJECTIVES

Our overall objective was to review Missouri's water quality standards and monitoring program. Our specific audit objectives were to answer the following questions:

RESULTS IN BRIEF

Missouri took significant action to protect and monitor its water quality in conjunction with Region 7 oversight; however, Missouri could benefit from some improvements. Missouri needed to establish water quality standards that will protect water quality at the level envisioned by the Clean Water Act. Additionally, Missouri needed to design its water quality testing to comprehensively assess the quality of its waters. Missouri could improve its procedures to ensure that its water quality reports are complete and accurate. Region 7 needed to review and approve Missouri's water quality standards. Further, Region 7 needed to better tie Missouri's use of available water quality management tools to the grant funds provided by Region 7.

Several Missouri Water Quality Standards Were Less Restrictive Than National Targets

Most of Missouri's standards to protect its water quality met EPA requirements; however, several of Missouri's standards were less restrictive than those required by the Clean Water Act. Missouri did not adopt the national "swimmable" use classification for all of its waters, and did not conduct the required studies to show the "swimmable" use was unachievable for waters not classified as swimmable. Missouri did not ensure that the use classifications reflected the actual water use. The State could not demonstrate that water quality criteria that were less restrictive than EPA's criteria would protect the water uses. Further, Missouri did not adopt procedures to maintain and protect water quality. As a result, Missouri did not ensure that all of its waters were as clean as intended by the Clean Water Act.

Missouri's Process to Test and Assess Water Quality Could Be Improved

Missouri made a good effort to monitor its water quality, but could improve its process to test and assess its waters. Missouri did not have a strategy to comprehensively evaluate all its waters. Missouri made water quality assessments without appropriate test results. Also, Missouri needed to update its water quality management plans to communicate changing priorities. As a result, Missouri did not know the quality of all of its waters and did not have a plan to find out.

Missouri Should Have Procedures for Complete And Accurate Water Quality Reporting

Missouri's reporting procedures did not ensure its water quality reports were complete and accurate. Missouri excluded assessments it made of intermittent streams from its 1996 water quality assessment reports and did not retain a list of specific waters included in summary tables in the report. Further, Missouri did not always ensure the accuracy of the information in its water quality data systems. As a result, Missouri did not comprehensively report on its water quality. EPA uses information from state water quality assessment reports to measure state performance in protecting and maintaining water quality.

Region 7 Should Improve Oversight and Technical Assistance for Missouri's Water Quality Programs

Region 7 could have provided better technical assistance and oversight to ensure that Missouri had an adequate basis for its water quality programs. Region 7 did not fulfill its responsibility to approve Missouri's water quality standards; however, the Region committed to timely approval actions in its fiscal 1998/1999 regional management agreement. The Region did not require as a grant condition that Missouri use available water quality planning tools. Also, the Region approved Missouri's impaired waterbody list without confirming the list was complete. As a result, the Region could not be sure Missouri protected its water quality as envisioned by the Clean Water Act.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We recommend that the Regional Administrator require Missouri to adopt the "swimmable" use classification where it can be achieved or conduct the required studies to show the use cannot be achieved. The Region should require Missouri to adopt EPA or scientifically defensible criteria. The Region should request that Missouri develop a monitoring strategy and management plans to ensure Missouri comprehensively assesses the quality of its waters. In addition, the Region should request that Missouri implement procedures and controls to ensure its water quality reports are complete and accurate. The Region should timely review and take prompt action on the State's water quality standards. Also, the Region needs to require supporting information for Missouri's impaired waterbody list.

AGENCY COMMENTS

Region 7 generally agreed with the findings and recommendations. The Region provided comments to clarify portions of the report, and we have incorporated these comments and modified the report as appropriate.

Missouri concurred with our recommendations, but did not provide a written response in time to be included in this report. We will provide a copy of Missouri's response upon request.

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