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MEM0RAND _UM' CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD • CENTRAL VALLEY REGION 3443 Routier Road, Suite A Phone: (916)255-3000 Sacramento, California 95827-3098 CALNET: 8-494-3000 TO: Technical Staff FROM: Jon B. Marshack Fresno, Redding and Senior Environmental Specialist Sacramento Offices EnvironmentaVTechnical Support Unit DATE: 17 May 1995 SIGNATURE: (updates and replaces memoranda dated 3/26/90, 1/14/91, 7/6/92, 5/13/93, and 1/18/95) SUBJECT: BENEFICIAL USE-PROTECTIVE WATER QUALITY LIMITS FOR COMPONENTS OF PETROLEUM-BASED FUELS A significant amount of our work involves the assessment and mitigation of petroleum-based fuel spills into soil and water. Various water quality criteria have been cited by staff in determining whether beneficial uses have been impaired or threatened by such spills. In an effort to achieve uniformity in the use of numerical water quality limits for this purpose and to bring to your attention the wide range of available and relevant criteria, I offer the list on the back of this memorandum. These values come from the staff report A Compilation of Water Quality Goals, May 1993 edition, updated with more recent information. These limits are intended to be applicable to the protection of existing or potential sources of drinking water. Sources of drinking water are surface and ground waters which have the beneficial use of municipal and domestic supply (MUN), as designated in the applicable Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) or the State Water Board's "Sources of Drinking Water" Policy, Resolution No. 88-63. Several of the recommended values are based on the taste and odor which these chemicals can impart to water. For these chemicals, impacts on the palatability of the water occurs at lower concentrations than those which cause health effects. Taste- and odor-related criteria are applicable, since both health effects and palatability are relevant to the assessment of beneficial use protection. Specifically, the Basin Plans contain water quality objectives prohibiting adverse tastes or odors in ground or surface waters that have the "MUN" beneficial use designation. You will notice that certain of the recommended limits are lower than applicable analytical detection limits in water. In these cases, the detection of any amount of these constituents in water indicates that beneficial uses have been impaired. In addition, an assessment of existing and potential water quality impacts must take into account State Water Board Resolution Nos. 68-16, Statement of Policy With Respect to Maintaining High Quality of Waters in California, and 92-49, Policies and Procedures for Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304. Requiring cleanup to technologically and economically achievable levels which are lower than beneficial use-protective limits, would be consistent with these policies for water quality control.