Nevada Administrative Code
Chapter 445A - Water Controls
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
Standards for Water Quality
Section 445A.1236 - Standards for toxic materials applicable to designated waters

Universal Citation: NV Admin Code 445A.1236

Current through September 16, 2024

1. Except for waters which have site-specific standards for toxic materials or as otherwise provided in this section, the standards for toxic materials prescribed in subsection 2 are applicable to the waters specified in NAC 445A.123 to 445A.2234, inclusive. The following criteria apply to this section:

(a) If the standards are exceeded at a site and are not economically controllable, the Commission will review and may adjust the standards for the site.

(b) If a standard does not exist for each designated beneficial use, a person who plans to discharge waste must demonstrate that no adverse effect will occur to a designated beneficial use. If the discharge of a substance will lower the quality of the water, a person who plans to discharge waste must meet the requirements of NRS 445A.565.

(c) If a criterion is less than the reporting limit of a method that is acceptable to the Division, laboratory results which show that the substance was not detected at a quantifiable level shall be deemed to show compliance with the standard unless other information indicates that the substance may be present.

2. The standards for toxic materials are:

Chemical

Municipal or Domestic Supply

(µg/L)

Aquatic Life(1,2)

(µg/L)

Irrigation

(µg/L)

Watering of Livestock

(µg/L)

INORGANIC CHEMICALS(3)

Antimony

146a

-

-

-

Arsenic

50b

-

100c

200d

1-hour average

-

340f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

150f,(4)

-

-

Barium

2,000b

-

-

-

Beryllium

4i

-

100c

-

Boron

-

-

750a

5,000d

Cadmium

5b

-

10d

50d

1-hour average

-

(1.136672 -{ln(hardness)(0.041838) })* e (0.9789 {ln(hardness)} - 3.866) h,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(1.101672 -{ln(hardness)(0.041838) })* e (0.7977 {ln(hardness)} - 3.909) h,(4)

-

-

Chromium (total)

100b

-

100d

1,000d

Chromium (VI)

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

16f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

11f,(4)

-

-

Chromium (III)

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

(0.316) * e (0.8190 {ln(hardness)} + 3.7256) f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(0.860) * e (0.8190 {ln(hardness)} + 0.6848) f,(4)

-

-

Copper

-

-

200d

500d

1-hour average

-

(0.960) * e (0.9422 {ln(hardness)} - 1.700) f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(0.960) * e (0.8545 {ln(hardness)} - 1.702) f,(4)

-

-

Cyanide

200a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

22f,(5)

-

-

96-hour average Fluoride

-

-

5.2f,(5)

-

-

1,000d

-

2,000d

Iron

-

-

5,000d

-

96-hour average

-

1,000f

-

-

Lead

50a,b

-

5,000d

100d

1-hour average

-

(1.46203 -{ln(hardness)(0.145712) })*e (1.273 {ln(hardness)} - 1.460) f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(1.46203 -{ln(hardness)(0.145712) })*e (1.273 {ln(hardness)} - 4.705) f,(4)

-

-

Manganese

-

-

200d

-

Mercury

2b

-

-

10d

1-hour average

-

1.4f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.77f,(4)

-

-

Molybdenum

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

6,160g

-

-

96-hour average

-

1,650g

-

-

Nickel

13.4a

-

200d

-

1-hour average

-

(0.998) * e (0.8460 {ln(hardness)} + 2.255) f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(0.997) * e (0.8460 {ln(hardness)} + 0.0584) f,(4)

-

-

Selenium

50b

See NAC 445A.1237

20d

50d

Silver

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

(0.85) * e (1.72 {ln(hardness)} - 6.59) f,(4)

-

-

Sulfide (undissociated hydrogen sulfide)

-

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

2.0f

-

-

Thallium

13a

-

-

-

Zinc

-

-

2,000d

25,000d

1-hour average

-

(0.978) * e (0.8473 {ln(hardness)} + 0.884) f,(4)

-

-

96-hour average

-

(0.986) * e (0.8473 {ln(hardness)} + 0.884) f,(4)

-

-

ORGANIC CHEMICALS

Acrolein

320a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

3f

-

-

96-hour average

-

3f

-

-

Aldrin

0a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

3.0f

-

-

alpha-Endosulfan

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.22f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.056f

-

-

beta-Endosulfan

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.22f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.056f

-

-

Benzene

5b

-

-

-

Bis (2-chloroisopropyl) ether

34.7a

-

-

-

Chlordane

0a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

2.4f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.0043f

-

-

Chloroethylene

2b

-

-

-

(vinyl chloride) Chlorpyrifos

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.083f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.041f

-

-

2,4-D

100a,b

-

-

-

DDT & metabolites

0a

-

-

-

4,4'-DDT

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

1.1f,(6)

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.001f,(6)

-

-

Demeton

-

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.1f

-

-

Diazinon

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.17f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.17f

-

-

Dibutyl phthalate

34,000a

-

-

-

m-dichlorobenzene

400a

-

-

-

o-dichlorobenzene

400a

-

-

-

p-dichlorobenzene

75b

-

-

-

1,2-dichloroethane

5b

-

-

-

1,1-dichloroethylene

7b

-

-

-

2,4-dichlorophenol

3,090a

-

-

-

Dichloropropenes

87a

-

-

-

Dieldrin

0a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.24f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.056f

-

-

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate

15,000a

-

-

-

Diethyl phthalate

350,000a

-

-

-

Dimethyl phthalate

313,000a

-

-

-

4,6-dinitro-2-methylphenol

13.4a

-

-

-

Dinitrophenols

70a

-

-

-

Endosulfan

75a

-

-

-

Endrin

0.2b

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.086f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.036f

-

-

Ethylbenzene

1,400a

-

-

-

Fluoranthene (polynuclear

42a

-

-

-

aromatic hydrocarbon)

Guthion

-

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.01f

-

-

Heptachlor

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.52f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.0038f

-

-

Heptacholor Epoxide

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.52f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.0038f

-

-

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene

206a

-

-

-

Isophorone

5,200a

-

-

-

Lindane

4b

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.95f

-

-

Malathion

-

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.1f

-

-

Methoxychlor

100a,b

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.03f

-

-

Mirex

0a

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.001f

-

-

Monochlorobenzene

488a

-

-

-

Nitrobenzene

19,800a

-

-

-

Nonylphenol

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

28f

-

-

96-hour average

-

6.6f

-

-

Parathion

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.065a

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.013a

-

-

Pentachlorophenol

1,010a

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

e1.005(pH) - 4.869f

-

-

96-hour average

-

e1.005(pH) - 5.134f

-

-

Phenol

3,500a

-

-

-

Polychlorinated biphenyls

(PCBs)

0a

-

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.014f

-

-

Silvex (2,4,5-TP)

10a,b

-

-

-

Tetrachloromethane

5b

-

-

-

(carbon tetrachloride) Toluene

14,300a

-

-

-

Toxaphene

5b

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.73a

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.0002a

-

-

Tributyltin (TBT)

-

-

-

-

1-hour average

-

0.46f

-

-

96-hour average

-

0.072f

-

-

1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA)

200b

-

-

-

Trichloroethylene (TCE)

5b

-

-

-

Trihalomethanes (total)(7)

100b

-

-

-

Footnotes:

(1) One-hour average and 96-hour average concentration limits may be exceeded only once every 3 years. See reference a.

(2) "Hardness" is expressed as mg/L CaCO3; and "e" refers to the base of the natural logarithm whose value is 2.718.

(3) The standards for metals are expressed as total recoverable, unless otherwise noted.

(4) This standard applies to the dissolved fraction.

(5) This standard is expressed as free cyanide.

(6) This standard applies to DDT and its metabolites (i.e., the total concentration of DDT and its metabolites should not exceed this value).

(7) The standard for trihalomethanes (TTHMs) is the sum of the concentration of bromodicholoromethane, dibromocholoromethane, tribromomethane (bromoform) and trichloromethane (chloroform). See reference b.

References:

a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pub. No. EPA 440/5-86-001, Quality Criteria for Water (Gold Book) (1986).

b. Federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), 40 C.F.R. §§ 141.11, 141.61 and 141.62 (1992).

c. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pub. No. EPA 440/9-76-023, Quality Criteria for Water (Red Book) (1976).

d. National Academy of Sciences, Water Quality Criteria (Blue Book) (1972).

e. Not used to avoid confusion with "e" as a natural logarithm.

f. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, May 2009.

g. Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Molybdenum, Tetra Tech, Inc., (June 2008).

h. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pub. No. EPA-820-R-16-002, Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria Cadmium - 2016, March 2016.

i. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pub. No. EPA 811-Z-92-002, 40 CFR Parts 141 and 142, National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; Synthetic Organic Chemicals and Inorganic Chemicals; Final Rule (Table 1-MCLGs and MCLs for Inorganic Contaminants) (July 1992).

Added to NAC by Environmental Comm'n, eff. 9-13-85; A 9-25-90; 7-5-94; 11-29-95; R158-06, 9-18-2006; R160-06, 8-26-2008; R186-08, 12-17-2008; R129-12, 12-20-2012-Substituted in revision for NAC 445A.144; A by R036-19A, eff. 10/22/2019; A by R043-19A, eff. 12/17/2019; A by R114-22A, eff. 12/29/2022

NRS 445A.425, 445A.520

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Nevada may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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