2010-02-15_HYDROLOGY - M2007044 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Water Quality Control Commission is charged with he responsibility to conserve, protect, and improve the quality of state waters pursuant to C.R.S. 1973, 25-8-101 et SeMc. The Commission is further empowered and directed to classify waters of the State and to promulgate water quality standards for any measurable characteristic of the water in order to protect both the uses in place and those that can be reasonably expected in the future. (25-8-203 and 25-8-204) The above-titled document assigns use classifications and standards for the state waters in the listed areas in accordance with the "basic regulations" adopted May 22, 1979. The measurable fiscal impacts which may be caused by these regulations are as follows: Cost of construction due to requirements for increased levels of treatment by municipal waste treatment facilities; - Cost of construction due to requirements for increased levels of treatment by industrial/commercial waste treatment facilities; Cost of Operation and Maintenance associated with increased levels of treatment required of municipalities; Cost of Operation and Maintenance associated with increased levels of treatment required of industrial and commercial dischargers; Cost of instream monitoring and laboratory analysis for new parameters added by the standards. Dischargers will not be required by the adoption of these regulations to do stream monitoring. The state, federal and local agencies now doing instream monitoring will have some increased cost; however, any additional frequency should be done to improve state surveillance and would be needed regardless of standard changes. The stream classifications and standards adopted by the Commission will protect the water uses primarily through control of point source pollution. Non-point source pollution will be controlled primarily through management practices which are in existence or which will be implemented in the future. Future management practices need careful consideration and may be the result of 208 area-wide wastewater management plans developed by regional planning agencies and being updated annually. These plans involve local governments with general assistance from state government. Some of the possible non-point source pollution may be controlled through "Control Regulations" yet to be promulgated by the Commission. These types of controls could involve runoff from construction, mining activities, and urban areas. It is not certain what controls are needed at this time and there is no way that possible costs can be identified at this time Persons who benefit from standards which will protect existing and future anticipated uses can be identified as all persons benefiting from recreation, municipal water supply, and agriculture. These benefits are directly economic for agriculture, industry, and municipalities whose health benefit costs are reduced by having clean water, and are both economic and non-quantifiable for some uses such as fishing, recreation, and the aesthetic value of clean waters. Furthermore, benefits will result from human health protection and lack of debilitating disease. Figures have been developed for a recreation/fishing day which can be applied to that aspect of a water use'; however, figures which have been developed for total recreation/fishing day uses have been developed statewide and could not be applied region-by-region or stream-by-stream. The uses of water in this region are adequately protected by these standards. Most municipal treatment facilities and industrial facilities are currently adequate, or are already being upgraded, in order to meet previous requirements. Any additional facilities or expansions in this region will generally be caused by increased capacity required because of population growths or 19