Permits and Standards
Water quality standards consist of narrative statements that describe water quality requirements in general terms, and of numeric limits for specific physical, chemical, biological or radiological characteristics of water. These narrative statements and numeric limits describe water quality necessary to meet and maintain reasonable and beneficial uses such as swimming and other water based recreation, public water supply and the propagation and growth of aquatic life. Standards include general as well as specific descriptions, since not all requirements for water quality protection can be numerically defined. Standards are not static. They will change and be constantly adjusted to reflect changes in law, technology and available information such as monitoring and testing results.
The standards are intended to protect all State waters for recreational use and for the propagation and growth of a balanced population of fish and wildlife. Through the protection of these two uses, which usually require the most stringent standards and the highest degree of protection, other usually less restrictive uses like industrial water supply, irrigation and navigation are usually also protected. Should additional standards be needed to protect other uses as dictated by changing circumstances or improved knowledge, they can be formulated and adopted.
The Virginia State Water Control Law mandates the protection of existing high quality State waters and provides for the restoration of all other State waters to such condition of quality that any such waters will permit all reasonable public uses and will support the propagation and growth of all aquatic life that might reasonably be expected to inhabit them (Section 62.1-44.2 of the Code of Virginia). The adoption of State water quality standards (9 VAC 25-260) under Section 62.1-44.15(3) of the Code is one of the methods of accomplishing the Law's purpose".
The National Program for Water Quality Protection and Pollution Control is specified through Federal Legislation such as the Clean Water Act (CWA) administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state program for sewage and wastewater regulation in Virginia is authorized in the Health Laws of Virginia, 1979, Code of Virginia; 32.1, Chapter 6, Article 1 and the State Water Control Law, Code of Virginia; 62.1, Chapter 3.1, Articles 4 and 5. Regulation of municipal sewage collection and treatment in the Commonwealth of Virginia is administered through the Sewage Collection and Treatment Regulations (9 VAC 25-790). Currently, all centralized, municipal and private, sewage collection, treatment and sludge management operations are permitted with either a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit, or a Virginia Pollution Abatement Permit. The Department of Environmental Quality administers these programs through Regulations (9 VAC 25-31) of the State Water Control Board. Revisions to these Regulations are currently being developed. Permit standards include maximum effluent limitations necessary to prevent actual or potential violations of water quality standards as established through analytical models or special standards. Standards for residential sewage treatment and disposal systems serving a single home are included in the Virginia Department of Health Regulations entitled: 1. Sewage Handling and Disposal and 2. Alternative Discharging Sewage Treatment System --(12 VAC 5-610 and 12 VAC 5-640).
The Federal 1987 Water Quality Act establishes the national requirements for water quality criteria and planning to be implemented through State Water Quality Management Plans. Total Maximum Daily Loads are the established waste load allocations from both point sources and Non-Point Sources. Total Maximum Daily Loads must be established for surface waters classified as water quality limited, in that either, standards are violated under existing waste loads, or discharge limits are necessary to prevent standards violations. The Total Maximum Daily Load program in Virginia is implemented by DEQ in cooperation with the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Standards for levels of toxic pollutants such as, heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides are especially difficult to establish. Toxic contaminant standards violations may not reflect an impairment of designated beneficial uses of the water body. The extreme cost of achieving permit established toxic contaminant standards may not be justified by the level of Health and Environmental Protection achieved.
Surface runoff from accumulated precipitation can contribute to water pollution and storm water discharge points may be subject to permit limitations. Surface runoff from agricultural operations such as animal feeding and waste management areas may contribute a variety of non-point source pollutants such as nutrients to nearby waterways. Both nutrient management plans (control of nitrogen and phosphorous) and pesticide management practices, are utilized with best management practices to control pollution, from agricultural sources. In certain situations, surface runoff (storm water) and overflows from wastewater collection systems may be permitted as point sources. Animal waste management operations for concentrated animal feeding facilities are regulated through general permits issued by another section in DEQ.