Integrated water quality management

Abstract

Components of the integrated water quality management and planning process are described. The process is initiated by the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) in which the ambient water quality-use based standards are justified and/or modified for the water body for which water quality management is being considered. The UAA has three components: (1) Water Body Assessment, (2) The Total Maximal Daily Load (TMDL) Process, and (3) Socio-economic Analysis. The first component identifies whether the receiving water body and watershed have a water quality problem and, subsequently, separates such water bodies into those where the water quality problem is caused by natural loads or conditions and those where man-made pollution inputs cause unacceptable water quality deterioration. The TMDL process separates water bodies into those for which water quality goals can be achieved by present and future mandated abatement of point and nonpoint sources (effluent limited water bodies) and those mandated abatement will not achieve the water quality goals (water quality limited water bodies). Extensive water quality management and expenditure of public funds is justified for the latter cases. Watersheds and receiving water bodies which are adversely affected predominantly by nonpoint (unregulated) discharges are declared as impaired and should be managed. Both reduction of waste discharges and enhancement of waste assimilative capacity-habitat restoration of the receiving water body should be considered in management of water quality limited receiving waterbodies.