Water and Waste Water
Class #4
Water Quality Standards.
Announcements
Homework #3 due before begin Class #4. If not, stop and complete/submit Homework #3 to Professors Auberle and Jeffery.
Others?
History of Water Quality Management
Recall concept WQS part of Water Quality Act of 1965, but only applied to interstate and coastal waters. Strengthened in 1972 FWPCA and applied to all "waters of the US".
What are "waters of the US"?
Waters of the US
What are "navigable waters"?
Power of Congress to regulate Interstate Commerce
Surface water, not ground water
Water Quality Standards
Dual purposes:
Water quality goals for specific water body
Basis for water quality based treatment controls beyond technology-based treatment levels
Water Quality Standards
State Role
Uses
Criteria to protect those uses
EPA Role
Illustrating uses. Relate to criteria to protect uses.
Water Quality Standards
Antidegradation Policy
Existing uses maintained and protected
Where quality exceeds "fishable/swimable", maintained and protected
Where high quality water is outstanding national resource, maintained and protected
Example of how system works (Compress process that took about 20 years into 10 minutes):
SF Bay/Delta Estuary Water Quality Standards
Background:
Water shed and Water diversions
Importance of SF Bay/Delta Estuary
SF Bay/Delta Estuary
Hub of to major water distribution systems
Water Quality Standards: Refresher
Who designates uses? State
Uses designated by California
EPA found State criteria (temperature, salinity, etc.) not sufficient to protect uses. Water export created variety of problems, especially in low flow years. Time pumps operated (spawning, drifting, etc.); amount of water exported affects freshwater/salt water interface.
Describe process, including stakeholder negotiations that eventually led to new criteria.
Partial list of Stakeholders:
* Irrigation districts and users
Bay Conservation and Development Commission
* Business & industrial users
CA Dept Parks and Rec
Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture
Counties in Bay Area and Delta
Delta Protection Commission
Elected Officials
* Environmental groups
* Muni water suppliers
Resource conservation districts
SWRCB and Regional Boards
US Army Corps of Eng
US Bureau of Reclamation
US EPA
USFWS
US National Marine Fisheries Service
REMEMBER: Homework #4 is due before proceed to Class #5.
Always interested in current events.
See you next class.
ENV 410B - Lectures