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Water Quality Standards

Standards can be difficult to ascertain. Many different sourcesSome parameters have no defined standardsParameters may only define drinking water quality standards. Sources of Standards. Federal GovernmentEPAState legislationIDEM (Indiana). Some Standards to Define. E. ColiNitrogenPhosphorus

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Water Quality Standards

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    1. Water Quality Standards Julie Diehm & Brandon Snoddy

    2. Standards can be difficult to ascertain Many different sources Some parameters have no defined standards Parameters may only define drinking water quality standards

    3. Sources of Standards Federal Government EPA State legislation IDEM (Indiana)

    4. Some Standards to Define E. Coli Nitrogen Phosphorus Total Suspended Solids Total Dissolved Solids pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity,

    5. E. Coli Indicative of fecal contamination Indiana observes EPA standards 235 colonies for one sample in a month or 125 colonies for five or more samples (average) in a month – recreational standards Less than 1 cfu per 100ml for drinking water. Can cause illness, skin infections, rashes etc.

    6. Nitrate – Nitrite Nitrogen Enters the water as a fertilizer applied to lawns, gardens, and crop production EPA standard is 10 mg/L for nitrate – 1 mg/L for nitrite Nitrate converts to nitrite in the digestive system. Can lead to Blue Baby Syndrome and death

    7. Phosphorus Limiting factor in fresh water Stimulates plant growth, algae, etc. Causes eutrophication when plant material decays and causes dissolved oxygen levels to drop. EPA suggests no more than 0.1 mg/l for streams that do not empty into a reservoirs, 0.05 for streams discharging into a reservoir, and 0.025 mg/l for reservoirs.

    8. Total Suspended Solids Limits light availability in water environments Hinders photosynthesis in plant species and reproduction in fish species Relationship between T.S.S. and turbidity exists

    9. Total Dissolved Solids Refers to any minerals, salts, metals, etc. dissolved in water. (Includes anything present other than the pure water (H20) molecule and suspended solids. TDS is based on the electrical conductivity of water. In drinking water, a limit of 500 mg/L is desirable for palatability. Direct relationship with water hardness.

    10. pH This is a measure of the activity of hydrogen ions in a solution pH gives us a measurement of a solutions acidity or alkalinity Determines the solubility of nutrients in water and the availability of those nutrients to aquatic life. Generally between 6.5 to 8.5

    11. Dissolved Oxygen Necessary to aquatic life. D.O. levels and temp. correlate to each other. D.O. levels below 5.0 mg/L put aquatic life under stress – the lower the concentration the greater the stress. D.O. levels below 1-2 mg/L for a few hours can lead to large fish kills

    12. Temperature Look for fluctuations Affects the amount of Dissolved Oxygen available High temps. have lower D.O. Low temps. have a higher D.O.

    13. Turbidity This is a measure of the clarity of a water sample. Measured in NTU or FTU The higher the turbidity the less light is available for photosynthesis. Higher turbidity also raises water temperature lowering the dissolved oxygen available.

    14. In Addition A brochure has been created Feel free to reproduce and hand out at meetings, to group members, to officials. Works well when you have water analyses in hand.

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