In the United States, water is a very regulated resource with a contentious history. It is no surprise that water standards are important for both human health and aquatic life.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for enforcing and developing environmental regulations, establishing guidelines to help protect people and the environment from health risks. What are the EPA’s standards for water quality testing?
Core Components of Water Quality Standards
The EPA has defined three core components when it comes to water quality standards: Designated uses, criteria, and antidegradation requirements. In terms of the breakdown, it makes sense that there would be different standards held depending on use.
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Designations
The four main designated uses as defined by the EPA are Protection and propagation of aquatic life, recreation, public drinking water, and water used for industrial, agricultural, navigational, and other purposes.
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Criteria
Regional governments will adopt certain water quality criteria to protect water usage. This can vary depending on city or state regulations, but typically this criterion is numeric or narrative and concerns desirable conditions (i.e., what levels of pollutant are permitted).
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Antidegradation Requirements
This specifically related to the maintenance and protecting the integrity of bodies of water/water sources—reference the goals of the Clean Water Act. The requirements put in place by the government provide a framework for protecting the sources of water that impact our food sources and that we drink.
Water Quality Standards Testing
While there is a baseline for water testing standards and federal guidelines and directives provide guidance for communities, responsibility lies within communities to monitor and maintain the quality of local water sources. You can visit the EPA website to learn more about specific guidelines and find more resources.
The EPA encourages individuals to take an active role in protecting their communities by getting involved. If you see something, say something. Local governments can help review water quality standards and revise them to protect local water resources.
What You Can Do at Home
For homeowners, it is great to get into the habit of testing household water quality. Hiring professionals for a water quality assessment will ensure accurate results. It is a smart idea to monitor water sources and to have things tested on an annual basis or if you suspect that your home’s water source may be contaminated.
The skilled professionals at Joiner Micro Labs can help you access the quality of your water. Serving Northern Virginia and the Greater DC area, these experts can evaluate the water coming out of your facets and analyze your wastewater as well.