§ 650.58 - Water quality standards.

(a) Under the provisions of Pub. L. 92-500 it is the responsibility of the States to establish water quality standards and formulate an overall plan for achieving and enforcing these water quality standards. These criteria are based on the quality of water necessary to achieve and maintain use classifications of water such as recreation, fish and wildlife propagation, public water supply, and industrial and agricultural uses. States are also required to establish effluent discharge limitations necessary to achieve and maintain the desired use classification. For Army installations, implementation and enforcement of the applicable federally or State developed effluent limitations, and water quality standards are accomplished by the regional headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

(b) The following effluent limitations are minimum standards which have been established pursuant to Pub. L. 92-500. More stringent effluent limitations may be established by the Administrator, EPA, to attain or maintain the water quality standards established by the State. Permissible effluent limitations, whether based on Federal or State water quality standards or on water quality criteria will be specified by the EPA Regional Administrator in the NPDES permit issued for each point of discharge.