North Carolina Administrative Code
Title 15A - Environmental Quality
Chapter 02 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Subchapter B - SURFACE WATER AND WETLAND STANDARDS
Section .0200 - CLASSIFICATIONS AND WATER QUALITY STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO SURFACE WATERS AND WETLANDS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Section 02B .0215 - FRESH SURFACE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS FOR CLASS WS-III WATERS

(a) Water quality standards in a WS-III watershed shall meet the requirements as specified in Item (3) of this Rule.

(b) Wastewater and stormwater point source discharges in a WS-III watershed shall meet the requirements as specified in Item (4) of this Rule.

(c) Nonpoint source pollution in a WS-III watershed shall meet the requirements as specified in Item (5) of this Rule.

(d) Following approved treatment, as defined in Rule .0202 of this Section, the waters shall meet the Maximum Contaminant Level concentrations considered safe for drinking, culinary, or food-processing purposes that are specified in 40 CFR Part 141 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations and in the North Carolina Rules Governing Public Water Supplies, 15A NCAC 18C .1500.

(e) Sources of water pollution that preclude any of the best uses on either a short-term or long-term basis shall be deemed to violate a water quality standard.

(f) The Class WS-III classification may be used to protect portions of Class WS-IV water supplies. For reclassifications of these portions of WS-IV water supplies occurring after the July 1, 1992 statewide reclassification, a WS-II classification that is requested by local governments shall be considered by the Commission if all local governments having jurisdiction in the affected areas have adopted a resolution and the appropriate ordinances as required by G.S. 143-214.5(d) to protect the watershed or if the Commission acts to protect a watershed when one or more local governments has failed to adopt protective measures as required by this Sub-Item.

(a) MBAS (Methylene-Blue Active Substances): not greater than 0.5 mg/l to protect the aesthetic qualities of water supplies and to prevent foaming;

(b) Odor producing substances contained in sewage, industrial wastes, or other wastes: only such amounts, whether alone or in combination with other substances or wastes, as shall not cause organoleptic effects in water supplies that cannot be corrected by treatment, impair the palatability of fish, or have an adverse impact, as defined in 15A NCAC 02H .1002, on any best usage established for waters of this class;

(c) Chlorinated phenolic compounds: not greater than 1.0 ug/l to protect water supplies from taste and odor problems from chlorinated phenols;

(d) Total hardness: not greater than 100 mg/l as calcium carbonate (CaCO3 or Ca + Mg);

(e) Solids, total dissolved: not greater than 500 mg/l;

(f) Toxic and other deleterious substances that are non-carcinogens:

(g) Toxic and other deleterious substances that are carcinogens:

(a) Discharges that qualify for a General NPDES Permit pursuant to 15A NCAC 02H .0127 shall be allowed in the entire watershed.

(b) Discharges from trout farms that are subject to Individual NPDES Permits shall be allowed in the entire watershed.

(c) Stormwater discharges that qualify for an Individual NPDES Permit pursuant to 15A NCAC 02H .0126 shall be allowed in the entire watershed.

(d) New domestic wastewater discharges that are subject to Individual NPDES Permits shall not be allowed in the Critical Area and are allowed in the remainder of the watershed.

(e) New industrial wastewater discharges that are subject to Individual NPDES Permits except non-process industrial discharges shall not be allowed in the entire watershed.

(f) No discharge of sewage, industrial, or other wastes shall be allowed in the entire watershed except for those allowed by Sub-Items (a) through (e) of this Item or Rule .0104 of this Subchapter, and none shall be allowed that have an adverse effect on human health or that are not treated in accordance with the permit or other requirements established by the Division pursuant to G.S. 143-215.1. Upon request by the Commission, a discharger shall disclose all chemical constituents present or potentially present in their wastes and chemicals that could be spilled or be present in runoff from their facility that may have an adverse impact on downstream water quality. These facilities may be required to have spill and treatment failure control plans as well as perform special monitoring for toxic substances.

(g) No new landfills shall be allowed in the Critical Area, and no NPDES permits shall be issued for landfills to discharge treated leachate in the remainder of the watershed.

(h) No new permitted sites for land application of residuals or petroleum contaminated soils shall be allowed in the Critical Area.

(a) Nonpoint source pollution shall not have an adverse impact on waters for use as a water supply or any other designated use.

(b) Class WS-III waters shall be protected as water supplies that are located in watersheds that meet average watershed development density levels specified Class WS-III waters in Rule .0624 of this Subchapter.