WSP04506

• File Number: 8272.100.60
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/1/1987
• Author: CRBSCF
• Title: Proposed Report on the 1987 Review - Water Quality Standards for Salinity - Colorado River System
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Other Activities
In 1986, the Arizona State Legislature adopted a new
Environmental Quality Act (H.B. 2518). The Act establishes
a new Department of Environmental Quality on July 1, 1987.
The water pollution control staff of the Department will
develop state management programs to protect the quality of
both surface and ground water. These programs will include
point source and nonpoint source permitting and pesticides
management.

California

NPDES Permits
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Colorado River Basin Region, issues the NPDES permits for
navigable waters and waste discharge requirements for
n6n-navigable stream. and land discharges within the
Colorado River drainage portion of the state. In issuing
and reissuing waste discharge requirements the Regional
Water Quality Control Board complies with all Forum
policies. In addition, the Regional Board has included in
the discharge permit requirements for land discharges a
prohibition of brine backwash from water softeners into
evapo-percolation ponds which overlie ground waters which
are in hydraulic continuity with the Colorado River
System. Industrial discharges are to be confined in
impervious ev~poration~basins.,
~ater Qualitv Management Plannin~
The Water Quality Control Plan for the combined East
and West Colorado River Basin was adopted by the California
Regional Water Quality Control Board in November 1984.
Following public hearings on the plan, the updated plan was
adopted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the
State ~ater Resources Control Board, February 1985 and
subsequently approved by EPA in September 1985. The
salinity control component of the water quality plan is
consistent with the Forum's plan of implementation for
salinity control. The Regional Water Quality Control Board
is working with the Forum and local entities to insure that
implementation of the water quality plan is achieved.
Other Activities
A policy establishing priorities for the use of poor
quality waters for cooling of inland power plants has been
in effect since 1975. The State Water Resources Control
Board has included salinity control in the Colorado River
among its top priority items.
Colorado

NPDES Permits
Administration of the NPDES permit program was
delegated to the Colorado Department of Health, Water
Quality Control Commission, by the EPA in May, 1978. The
Water Quality Control Commission's regulation for
implementation of the Colorado River Salinity Standards
reflect all of the Forum policies adopted to date. All new
or reissued permits have been brought into compliance with
the Water Quality Control Commission's regulation for
implementing the Colorado River Salinity Standards through
the NPDES permit program.

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