preface 



THE FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT, as amended by the 

 Water Quality Act of 1965, authorizes the States and the Federal Government 

 to estabUsh water quality standards for interstate (including coastal) waters by 

 June 30, 1967. The water quality standards submitted by the States are subject to 

 review by the Department of the Interior and, if found consistent with Paragraph 3 

 of Section 10 of the Act, will be approved as Federal standards by the Secretary of 

 the Interior. 



Paragraph 3, Section 10, reads as follows: 



Standards of quality established pursuant to this subsection shall be such as to protect the 

 public health or welfare, enhance the quality of water and serve the purposes of this Act. In 

 establishing such standards the Secretary, the Hearing Board, or the appropriate state authority 

 shall take into consideration their use and value for public water supplies, propagation of fish 

 and wildlife, recreational purposes, and agricultural, industrial, and other legitimate uses. 



If a State does not adopt water quality standards consistent with the above para- 

 graph, the Act provides the Secretary with the opportunity to set the standards. 



On February 27, 1967, the Secretary established the first National Technical 

 Advisory Committee on Water Quality Criteria to the Federal Water Pollution Con- 

 trol Administration. The Committee's principal function was to collect into one 

 volume a basic foundation of water quality criteria. A smaller but equally important 

 function was to develop a report on research needs. This latter report will appear as 

 a separate publication. The Committee was subdivided to develop criteria for five 

 general areas of water use: (1) Recreation and Aesthetics; (2) Public Water Sup- 

 pUes; (3) Fish, Other Aquatic Life, and Wildlife; (4) Agriculture; and (5) Industry. 



An interim report was printed and presented to the Secretary of the Interior on 

 June 30, 1967. It was prepared primarily for two purposes: to assist in setting and 

 evaluating standards and for Committee review and comment. 



After all the comments and revisions were considered, the various subcommit- 

 tees accepted a final version in the form here presented. Evaluation by knowledge- 

 able agencies and individuals is welcomed and any one who wishes to make 

 comments should forward them to: 



Water Quality Standards Staff 



Federal Water Pollution Control Administration 



U.S. Department of the Interior 



633 Indiana Avenue NW. 



Washington, D.C. 20242 



