{"id":6,"date":"2021-06-25T18:58:35","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T18:58:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2026-02-23T10:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:22:23","slug":"wqs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Quality Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proposed Surface Water Quality Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">*NEW* &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/2026-triennial-review\/\">2026 Triennial Review<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adopting and Amending Water Quality Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>New Mexico&#8217;s Water Quality Standards (WQS) are adopted by the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) through a rulemaking process that includes public involvement. The rule is then submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The process for developing and amending water quality standards is outlined in the State&#8217;s approved&nbsp; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wqmp-cpp\/\" target=\"_blank\">Water Quality Management Plan and Continuing Planning Process<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several types of water quality standards amendments, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Removing or Replacing a Designated Use.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/uaa\/\"><strong>Use Attainability Analysis<\/strong><\/a><u><strong>&nbsp;(\u201cUAA\u201d) <\/strong><\/u>&#8211; Amends a Designated Use to one with less stringent criteria<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Existing Use Analysis (or equivalent) <\/strong>&#8211; Amends a Designated Use to one with more stringent criteria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Site-Specific Criterion<\/strong> \u2013 A numeric criterion applicable to all or part of a surface water of the state based on relevant site-specific conditions, supporting the Designated Use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Temporary Standards<\/strong> \u2013 Time-limited criterion applicable to either a waterbody or a discharger for a particular parameter that is preventing attainment of the Designated Use. The Temporary Standard does not replace the Designated Use for purposes of assessment or impairment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Criteria (Narrative or Numeric)<\/strong> &#8211; These types of amendments are generally reviewed and amended during a Triennial Review.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/onrws\"><strong>Outstanding National Resource Waters<\/strong><\/a> (\u201cONRWs\u201d) \u2013 Enhances the protections afforded under the Antidegradation Policy and Implementation Plan. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulations <\/strong>\u2013 Amendments to 20.6.4 NMAC that are not water quality standards (designated uses, criteria or the antidegradation policy and implementation plan). These are generally reviewed and amended during a Triennial Review.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Water Quality Standards can be amended at any time. However, in accordance with Section 303(c)(1) of the CWA and 20.6.4.10 NMAC, states are required to hold a public hearing at least once every three years to review, amend, and adopt water quality standards, as applicable. This is referred to as a \u201cTriennial Review.\u201d Because of the logistics associated with the lengthy administrative process to amend regulations and make them effective for both state and Clean Water Act purposes, the Department petitions for a Triennial Review hearing date at least every three years from the date EPA makes the last Triennial Review amendments effective for Clean Water Act purposes. Documents from past Triennial Reviews may be accessed in the amendments link below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wqs-amendments\/\">Amendments to New Mexico\u2019s Water Quality Standards<\/a> <\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current Surface Water Quality Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>New Mexico\u2019s WQS, codified at 20.6.4 NMAC, define water quality goals by designating uses for rivers, streams, lakes and other surface waters, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing antidegradation provisions to preserve water quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As approved by the New Mexico\u2019s Water Quality Control Commission for <strong>purposes of state implementation<\/strong>, effective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2026\/02\/20.6.4-NMAC-08Nov25.pdf\">November 8, 2025<\/a> (PDF). This version was submitted to EPA on January 15, 2026 and is under review (see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/sandiacanyon-uaa\/\">Sandia Canyon UAA<\/a>). <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As approved by EPA, effective for Clean Water Act Purposes on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/09\/EPA_nm_wqs_0019_092422_v2.pdf\">August 14, 2025<\/a> (PDF). For additional information regarding Water Quality Standards Regulations nationally, click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/wqs-tech\/water-quality-standards-regulations-new-mexico\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/wqs-tech\/epa-approvals-tribal-water-quality-standards-and-contacts\" target=\"_blank\">EPA-Approved Tribal Water Quality Standards<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Proposed Surface Water Quality Standards *NEW* &#8211; 2026 Triennial Review Adopting and Amending Water Quality Standards New Mexico&#8217;s Water Quality Standards (WQS) are adopted by the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) through a rulemaking process that includes public involvement. The rule is then submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1579,"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/1579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.env.nm.gov\/surface-water-quality\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}