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Water Quality

DEQ’s Water Quality Divisions ensure the state’s surface, ground, and drinking water resources meet state water quality standards. The divisions’ major duties include the following:

  • Adopting water quality standards to protect public health and meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.
  • Certifying that projects requiring federal permits or licenses will not violate water quality standards.
  • Monitoring, assessing, and reporting on surface water quality.
  • Working with community, industry, and citizen groups to develop and implement water quality improvement plans.
  • Providing grants for water quality improvement activities.
  • Working with public health districts to ensure public drinking water systems meet state requirements.
  • Protecting ground water from pollution and cleaning up degraded ground water to support beneficial uses.
  • Providing guidance for managing storm water discharges.
  • Establishing standards for treating and disposing of wastewater managed by septic systems that are not served by public sewer systems.
  • Issuing wastewater reuse permits, establish wastewater reuse limits, provide technical assistance, conduct inspections, and enforce permits.

Drinking
Water

Grants
and Loans

Ground
Water

Planning
and Admin

Surface
Water Data

Wastewater
Information

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