Freshwater Ecology: Water Quality

Chapter 93 published by the EPA on Pennsylvania water quality standards. Outlines the general provisions, antidegradation requirements, water quality criteria, and designated water uses.

The Water Quality Standards Handbook is a compilation of the EPA's water quality standards (WQS) program guidance including recommendations for states, authorized tribes, and territories in reviewing, revising, and implementing WQS.

Water quality standards are provisions of state, territorial, authorized tribal or federal law approved by EPA that describe the desired condition of a waterbody or the level of protection or mandate how the desired condition will be expressed or established for such waters in the future.
These standards form a legal basis for controlling pollution entering the waters of the United States from a variety of sources (e.g., industrial facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and storm sewers).

EPA has compiled state, territorial, and authorized tribal water quality standards that EPA has approved or are otherwise in effect for Clean Water Act purposes.

from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEA)