Category:Water Quality Standards Program

English: Water quality standards (WQS) are risk-based requirements which set site-specific allowable pollutant levels for individual water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands, in the United States. The Clean Water Act requires state agencies to establish WQS by designating uses for the water body (e.g., recreation, water supply, aquatic life, agriculture) and applying water quality criteria (numeric pollutant concentrations and narrative requirements) to protect the designated uses. If a state fails to issue WQS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to issue standards for that state.