Compilation of National Recommended Water Quality Criteria

EPA's compilation of national recommended water quality criteria is presented as a summary table containing recommended water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life and human health for approximately 150 pollutants. These criteria are published pursuant to Section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and provide guidance for States and Tribes to use in adopting water quality standards under Section 303(c) of the CWA.

2002 Criteria Table

These criteria represent EPA's current national recommended water quality criteria.

• Revised Human Health Water Quality Criteria (December 31, 2003)
  • Fact Sheet
  • Table of updated criteria
  • Federal Register Notice
• Revision of National Recommended Water Quality Criteria: 2002
  • Criteria Table (PDF, 533 kb, 36 pages, about this format) Note: 15 human health criteria were updated on December 31, 2003.
  • Fact Sheet (PDF)
  • Federal Register Notice (December 27, 2002)
    
  • Human Health Criteria Calculation Matrix (PDF, 445 kb, 23 pages, about this format)

To view the previously published process for deriving new and revised national water quality criteria, see the following document.

• National Recommended Water Quality Criteria (PDF, 340 kb, 26 pages, about this format) Correction (Revised, April, 1999)

References

• Quality Criteria for Water 1986 [The Gold Book] - May 1986 (PDF, 5 mb, 477 pages, about this format)
• Quality Criteria for Water 1976 [The Red Book] - July 1976 (PDF, 13 mb, 534 pages, about this format)
• Chemical Specific Criteria Documents from the 1980's
  

Water Quality Standards | Drinking Water | Research and Development

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us