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.