Designated Uses and Classification Refinement
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has initiated a
review of Florida’s current designated uses and associated
water body classification system to determine
if revisions are needed.
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Designated Uses
Refinement Meeting - An expert Policy Advisory Committee (PAC)
was formed to help DEP determine the need for revisions to
Florida's current surface water body classification system.
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Refining Florida’s
Surface Water Quality Standards: Designated Uses & Classifications
Frequently Asked
Questions
What are surface
water quality standards?
Standards are
scientifically established thresholds for contaminants and ecological
conditions to assure that public health and aquatic life are protected.
Florida’s surface water quality standards include a classification
system of designated or beneficial uses to be protected—such as
drinking water supply, shellfish harvesting,
swimming and recreation, aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife, or
agricultural supply—limits on pollutants, and mechanisms to
implement these requirements. The standards are contained in
rule 62-302, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).
Why refine them now?
DEP is
responsible under federal law for reviewing the state’s surface water
quality standards every three years. Associated with this routine
review, DEP has performed a
comprehensive evaluation of
designated uses and water body classifications and determined that
refinements would improve protection of public health and the aquatic
life that thrive in our rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and estuaries.
The current
classification system has been in effect for more than 30 years.
Scientific knowledge has advanced since then, better data on surface
waters are available, and water quality protection programs have
changed. Florida has an opportunity to improve the way we protect public
health and aquatic life and habitats.
Is DEP lowering water
quality standards?
No. DEP is looking
for ways to improve surface water quality standards and develop more
effective programs to protect and restore Florida’s water resources.
DEP’s goal will always be to promote high standards through appropriate
classification, permitting, water quality monitoring, and restoration.
The refinements under
consideration would expand the current classification system to better
account for the differences between human and aquatic life uses and
their unique protection needs. Current classifications recognize five
human uses but only one aquatic life use. A refined system likely would
assign each surface water both human and aquatic life uses to fully
reflect its unique characteristics, appropriate uses, and the measures
necessary to protect them.
Is DEP consulting with independent experts on this issue?
Yes. DEP
formed a
Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) to consider the environmental,
scientific, technical, economic, legal, and social factors involved with
potential changes. DEP solicited nominations from a wide range of expert
stakeholders—environmental groups, local governments, other state
agencies, business and industry, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)—in order to represent diverse interests and
bring balance to the discussions. The PAC membership reflects those
parties that agreed to help with the issue.
How would DEP change
the classification of a surface water?
First and most
important, under any revised classification system, all surface waters
would initially be assigned the equivalent of their current
classification and the exact same water quality criteria in chapter
62-302, F.A.C., would remain applicable. Any change to a surface water’s
designated use would require formal, public rulemaking and
Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) and EPA approval.
The vast majority of
surface waters in Florida, currently designated Class III waters, would
inevitably remain in an exactly equivalent classification—because
recreation, propagation and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced
population of fish and wildlife are the minimum expectations everyone
has for most waterways. Any proposed movement from Class III, or
any other class, would require specific justification and, as noted,
public rulemaking. And every proposal to lower a designated use
or establish subcategories of a designated use would have to be
supported by a formal, scientific, substantive justification called a
Use Attainability Analysis, which the state would have to
provide EPA.
How will “impaired
waters” and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) be affected?
If the designated use
of a surface water is not being met and maintained, the cause of the
water quality degradation (“impairment”) must be identified and fixed.
The primary programs established to identify problems and restore water
quality are
TMDLs and Basin Management Action Planning. Changes to the
classification system would not change TMDL requirements in any way.
If changes to
Florida’s water quality standards are determined to be appropriate, what
formal steps would DEP have to take to implement them?
As noted, any changes
to designated uses, the classification system or water quality criteria
would be subject to a formal, public rulemaking process. Public meetings
and hearings would be held to inform, educate and solicit input from all
interested parties. And all changes would require the approval of the
Florida ERC and the EPA.
If you have questions
about water quality standards, designated uses, or the classification
refinement process, or would like to be added to our mailing list,
please contact Stacey Feken via email [stacey.feken@dep.state.fl.us]
or call 850-245-8421. We would appreciate your input.
Other information of interest
Water Quality Standards and Special Projects Program
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road -
M.S. 3560
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-8417
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