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III. WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act of potential and actual water quality problems, i.e., defines water quality objectives (WQOs) as "...the beneficial use impairments. Since impairments may limits or levels of water quality constituents or be associated with an exceedence of water quality characteristics which are established for the objectives, the Regional Board uses the results of reasonable protection of beneficial uses of water or the Triennial Review to implement actions to the prevention of nuisance within a specific area."y assess, remedy, monitor, or otherwise address the It also requires the Regional Board to establish water impairments, as appropriate, in order to achieve quality objectives, while acknowledging that it is objectives and protect beneficial uses. If a problem possible for water quality to be changed to some is found to occur because, for example, a WQO is degree without unreasonably affecting beneficial too weak to protect beneficial uses, the Basin Plan uses. In establishing WQOs, the Regional Board should be amended to make the objective more must consider, among other things, the following stringent. (Better enforcement of the WQOs or factors: adoption of certain policies or redirection of staff and resources may also be proper responses to water ° Past, present, and probable future beneficial quality problems. See the Implementation chapter uses; for further discussion.) ° Environmental characteristics of the Changes to the objectives can also occur because of hydrographic unit under consideration,including new scientific information on the effects of water the quality of water available thereto; contaminants. A major source of information is the EPA which develops data on the effects of chemical ° Water quality conditions that could reasonably be and other constituent concentrations on particular achieved through the coordinated control of all aquatic species and human health. Other factors which affect water quality in the area; information sources for data on protection of beneficial uses include the National Academy of : ° Economic considerations; Science which has published data on bioaccumulation and the federal Food and Drug ° The need for developing housing within the Administration which has issued criteria for region.N unacceptable levels of chemicals in fish and shellfish used for human consumption. The The Federal Clean Water Act requires a state to Regional Board may make use of those and other submit for approval of the Administrator of the U.S. State agency information sources in assessing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all new or need for new WQOs. revised water quality standards which are established for surface and ocean waters. As noted earlier, The second point is that objectives are to be California water quality standards consist of both achieved primarily through the establishment of beneficial uses (identified in Chapter II) and the waste discharge requirements (including permits). WQOs based on those use. In setting these, the Regional Board considers the potential impact on beneficial uses within the area There are six important points that apply to WQOs. of influence of the discharge, the existing quality The first point is that WQOs can be revised through of receiving waters, and the appropriate WQOs. It the basin plan amendment process. As indicated can then make a finding as to the beneficial uses to previously, federal regulations call for each state to be protected within the area of influence of the review its water quality standards at least every three discharge and establish waste discharge years. These Triennial Reviews provide one requirements to protect those uses and to meet Opportunity to evaluate changing water quality water quality objectives. The objectives are objectives, because they begin with an identification intended to govern the levels of constituents and III-1