A report essential to the regulation of surface water quality in Wisconsin is now available from the DNR after a year-long review and public comment period identified areas for improvement.
The Triennial Standards Review is updated every three years, and is required by the federal Clean Water Act. Water quality standards act as guidelines for setting an appropriate level of protection for Wisconsin's lakes, rivers and streams.
DNR Program Manager Marcia Wilhite says one aspect is setting levels of pollutants...
"...Phosphorus is an example of that. But there's a whole list of substances for which we set individual water quality standards. That becomes the target that we shoot for in regulating pollution from wastewater treatment that discharges to our rivers lakes and streams and becomes our target when setting restoration plans. It becomes a basic piece of regulating water pollution...."
The comprehensive evaluation sets new priorities for the next three years including guidance on bacteria that cause blue-green algae blooms, human health criteria, regulation of mercury levels, designating exceptional resource waters and criteria for a substance commonly used in fire-fighting foams and non-stick coatings.
The report can be found by searching the DNR website, for keywords "surface water" and clicking on the link forTriennial Standards Review.
