Ohio EPA Finalizes Revisions to Recreation Water Quality Criteria

The Division of Surface Water (DSW) in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) recently finalized revisions to the state’s recreation water quality criteria, which will be effective Jan. 4, 2016.

The revisions affect the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Chapter 3745-1, which addresses water quality standards. Specifically, the revisions were made to rule OAC 3745-1-07.

The Ohio EPA is required by federal law to review its water quality standards every three years and by Ohio law to review them every five years, which works to keep the rules relevant. The state’s rule-making process includes four stages of which finalization is the last. Previously, the recreation water quality criteria revisions went through early stakeholder outreach, draft review and proposal to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.