Water Quality Standards
The Division of Water Quality Standards (DWQS) includes several programs to protect and manage clean water and public health. The water quality program implements portions of the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law (P.L 1987, Act 394 of 1937, as amended (35 P.S. §§ 691.1 et seq.)) and the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq. (1972)).
Water quality standards are used to assess whether Pennsylvania's rivers and lakes are clean and pure enough to support fish and other aquatic life; recreation; water supply for drinking, agriculture, and industry; and other protected uses. In addition, the water standards are implemented by other BPNPSM programs as regulatory tools to prevent pollution of the Commonwealth's waters.
The DWQS programs to protect clean water include:
- Standards Section - responsible for developing and establishing the water criteria and protected uses that surface waters must meet
- Monitoring Section - responsible for designing and implementing surface water monitoring for water chemistry, biology (invertebrates, fishes, algae, plants and pathogens), and physical habitat
- Assessment Section - responsible for developing and implementing protocols to analyze and evaluate monitoring data to determine surface water attainment of water standards
- Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Development Section - responsible for modeling and setting pollution loads that will allow impaired waters to meet water standards
- Vector Management Section - responsible for protecting public health through the Black Fly Suppression Program that manages nuisance adult black fly populations, and the West Nile Virus Control Program that combats the spread of West Nile Virus through suppression of adult mosquito populations
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Standards
The Standards Section coordinates activities involving the development, review, and maintenance of statewide and site-specific water quality standards, and develops rulemaking in support of triennial review of water quality standards and stream redesignations. It coordinates federal Clean Water Act Section 316 activities to ensure compliance with program directives, and activities involving the review, implementation, and development of the Antidegradation Policy and directives.
The section coordinates and oversees activities in support of the Interagency Fish Tissue Consumption Advisory program; maintains and updates relevant regulations, policy statements, guidance documents, and data systems to implement water quality standards directives and goals; and provides representation on inter- and intra-state commissions, committees, boards, workgroups, and taskforces in support of water quality program directives and goals.
Monitoring
The Monitoring Section coordinates the Statewide Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program for the purpose of assessing the Commonwealth's protected water uses. This includes monitoring for aquatic life, water supply, recreation, fish consumption, and special protection.
Assessment
The Assessment Section is responsible for analyzing available monitoring data, both internal to DEP and from outside sources (watershed organizations; other state, local and federal agencies; river basin commissions; etc.), to determine the attainment of surface water standards.
The section has developed assessment methods for benthic macroinvertebrates, fishes, pathogens and water chemistry, which are included in the 2015 Assessment Methodology.
These monitoring and assessment methods are used for the biennial Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report). The Integrated Report is submitted to EPA, and is composed of the CWA Section 305(b) report of the water quality status of all surface waters and the Section 303(d) list of impaired waters. The 2014 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report was approved by EPA on December 19, 2014.
The section also provides Fish Consumption Advisories, which are the basis of the fish consumption impairments found in the Integrated Report.
TMDL
The TMDL Development Section is responsible for the statewide establishment of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) developed to address waterbody impairments identified in the Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report).
The TMDL Development Section also assists in the resolution of issues related to the implementation of previously approved TMDLs.
Additionally, the TMDL Development Section has the lead in the development of numeric criteria for nutrients, and an objective/quantitative protocol for the identification of nutrient related impairments.
Vector Management
Black Fly
The goal of the Pennsylvania Black Fly Suppression Program is to reduce adult black fly populations to tolerable levels during the spring and summer recreational seasons using environmentally compatible methods.
The program involves the monitoring and treatment of many rivers and streams across Pennsylvania. DEP biologists and student interns conduct black fly monitoring, laboratory identification of samples, data entry, treatment operations, and management of aerial spray contracts. Treatments are done by helicopter using Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) , a naturally occurring soil bacterium, to selectively target only four black fly species in the Simulium jenningsi species group that bother people.
More than three million Pennsylvania residents benefit from this program throughout the state. The program provides relief from adult black flies so residents and tourists can fully enjoy outdoor recreational activities in Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit Pennsylvania's Black Fly Suppression Program website.
West Nile Virus
The goal of Pennsylvania's West Nile Virus Control Program is to combat the spread of West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes.
In order to accomplish this goal, Pennsylvania developed a comprehensive network. This network, consisting of state, regional and county personnel, conducts mosquito surveillance and dead bird collections and monitors for the occurrence of West Nile virus in horses and humans.
Mosquito control activities are implemented as required. For more information, please visit Pennsylvania's West Nile Virus Control Program website.
