Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
Board
Department of Environmental Quality

General Notice
Informal public comment period on Draft 2024 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual
Date Posted: 3/22/2023
Expiration Date: 4/21/2023
Submitted to Registrar for publication: NO
No comment forum defined for this notice.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will release the draft 2024 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual on March 22, 2023 for informal public comment.

 

Virginia’s 2024 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual contains the assessment procedures and methods to be used for the development of Virginia’s 2024 §305(b)/ §303(d) Integrated (i.e. combined Water Quality Assessment and Impaired Waters) Report. The assessment guidance seeks to address all key elements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2006 Assessment Guidance and subsequent updates current to January 2023, in addition to the assessment methodology for Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards established by EPA and adopted by Virginia (Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Dissolved Oxygen, Water Clarity, and Chlorophyll a for the Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries).

 

A copy of the draft 2024 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual is available for download from the DEQ Water Quality Assessment webpage at: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quality/assessments/wqa-guidance-manual.

 

Section 62.1-44.19:5 C of the Code of Virginia requires DEQ to develop and publish the procedures used for defining and determining impaired waters and provide for public comment on the procedures. The public is invited to submit written comments through April 21, 2023.  Comments should include the name, address, telephone number, and, if applicable, the e-mail address of each person and/or organization submitting comments.  Comments and related correspondence should be addressed to Amanda Shaver.  Responses to comments received will be made collectively, via a response document.  The response document will be posted on the assessment webpage along with the final guidance manual.

 

Updates have been made to the guidance document since 2022.  A complete list of significant guidance modifications is described in Part II of the manual. A public webinar to review these updates will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 from 2pm to 3:30pm. Registration link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7936670083271472736.

 

Contact: Amanda Shaver, Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, Virginia 23218. Telephone (804) 774-8416, or via e­mail at amanda.shaver@deq.virginia.gov.


Contact Information
Name / Title: Amanda Shaver 
Address: P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, 23218
Email Address: amanda.shaver@deq.virginia.gov
Telephone: (804)774-8416    FAX: ()-    TDD: ()-