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<br />they are in~luded in water quality standards. 40 CFR section 131.3(e). Designated uses focus on <br />. the attainable condition while existing uses focus on the past or present condition. Section <br />131.10 then links these two broad use categories in a manner which intends to ensure that States <br />. and Tribes designate appropriate water uses, reflecting both the existing and attainable uses of <br />each water body. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />It is in designating uses that States and Tribes establish the environmental goals for their water <br />resources, and it is in designating uses that States and Tribes are to evaluate the attainability of <br />those goals. Because water quality standards perform the dual function of establishing water <br />quality goals and ultimately serving as the regulatory basis for water quality-based treatment <br />controls and strategies, a State or Tribe often weighs the environmental, social and economic <br />consequences of its decisions in designating uses. The regulation allows the State or Tribe some <br />flexibility in weighing these considerations and adjusting these goals over time. Reaching a <br />conclusion on the uses that appropriately reflect the potential for a water body, determining the <br />attainability of those goals, and appropriately evaluating the consequences of a designation, <br />involves a balancing of environmental, scientific, technical, economic and social considerations <br />as well as public opinion. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />