N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.4.12

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 20.6.4.12 - COMPLIANCE WITH WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

The following provisions apply to determining compliance for enforcement purposes; they do not apply for purposes of determining attainment of uses. The department has developed assessment protocols for the purpose of determining attainment of uses that are available for review from the department's surface water quality bureau.

A. Compliance with acute water quality criteria shall be determined from the analytical results of a single grab sample. Acute criteria shall not be exceeded.

B. Compliance with chronic water quality criteria shall be determined from the arithmetic mean of the analytical results of samples collected using applicable protocols. Chronic criteria shall not be exceeded more than once every three years.

C. Compliance with water quality standards for total ammonia shall be determined by performing the biomonitoring procedures set out in Subsections D and E of 20.6.4.14 NMAC, or by attainment of applicable ammonia criteria set out in Subsections K, L and M of 20.6.4.900 NMAC.

D. Compliance with the human health-organism only criteria shall be determined from the analytical results of representative grab samples, as defined in the water quality management plan. Human health-organism only criteria shall not be exceeded.

E. The commission may establish a numeric water quality criterion at a concentration that is below the minimum quantification level. In such cases, the water quality standard is enforceable at the minimum quantification level.

F. For compliance with hardness-dependent numeric criteria, hardness (as mg CaCO₃/L) shall be determined from a sample taken at the same time that the sample for the contaminant is taken.

G.Compliance schedules:. The commission may allow the inclusion of a schedule of compliance in a NPDES permit issued to an existing facility on a case-by-case basis. Such schedule of compliance will be for the purpose of providing a permittee with adequate time to make treatment facility modifications necessary to comply with water quality based permit limitations determined to be necessary to implement new or revised water quality standards or wasteload allocation. Compliance schedules may be included in NPDES permits at the time of permit renewal or modification and shall be written to require compliance at the earliest practicable time. Compliance schedules shall also specify milestone dates so as to measure progress towards final project completion (e.g., design completion, construction start, construction completion, date of compliance).

H. It is a policy of the commission to allow a temporary standard approved and adopted pursuant to Subsection H of 20.6.4.10 NMAC to be included in the applicable federal Clean Water Act permit as enforceable limits and conditions. The temporary standard and any schedule of actions may be included at the earliest practicable time, and shall specify milestone dates so as to measure progress towards meeting the original standard.

N.M. Admin. Code § 20.6.4.12

20.6.4.12 NMAC - Rp 20 NMAC 6.1.1104, 10-12-00; A, 10-11-02; Rn, 20.6.4.11 NMAC, 05-23-05; A, 05-23-05; A, 12-01-10, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVIII, Issue 02, January 31, 2017, eff. 3/2/2017, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 07, April 5, 2022, eff. 4/23/2022