​Integrated Water Quality Report

DEP has an ongoing program to assess the quality of surface waters in Pennsylvania and identify streams and bodies of water that are not attaining protected uses as "impaired." Water quality standards are comprised of the uses that waters can support, and goals established to protect those uses. Uses include, among other things, aquatic life, fish consumption, recreation and potable water supply, while the goals are numerical or narrative water quality criteria that express the in-stream levels of substances that must be achieved to support the uses. 

Waterbody assessment and data evaluation is a continuous process, so Integrated Reports are provided to EPA and the public every two years. These reports satisfy the requirements of both sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Integrated Report includes narrative descriptions of the various control and restoration programs DEP manages, trends in specific water quality parameters, and the status of Pennsylvania surface waters.