Leveraging Water Quality Standards for Source Water Protection explored how the Clean Water Act’s Water Quality Standards (WQS) help to protect our sources of water supply – the Potomac River and its tributaries. The program compared WQS in the headwater basin states (MD, VA, WV, and PA) with a focus on those river and stream stretches designated as drinking water supplies and their applicable WQS. This included a comparison of the in-stream standards with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements for water utilities. The program also identified issues of importance to drinking water utilities in the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process and the relationship with WQS. Water utility staff and other water quality professionals in the Potomac River Basin DWSPP discussed the issues and how WQS can be leveraged, modified, or amended to enhance existing source water protection efforts. The results of this workshop could be used to help shape changes to the WQS during the review process undertaken by each State (typically on a triennial basis).

Presentations

• Tracy Mehan, The Cadmus Group: Clean Water Act, Water Quality Standards
• TMDLs and Drinking Water Utilities, Greg Prelewicz, Fairfax Water, DWSPP Urban Issues Workgroup Chair
• State Water Quality Standards
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Water Quality Standards – Tom Barron, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
    Maryland’s Water Quality Standards for “P” designated waters – John Backus and Adam Rettig, Maryland Department of the Environment
  • Virginia Water Quality Standards – David Whitehurst, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality