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Division of Surface Water Guidance



DSW Guidance Documents

Background

The Division of Surface Water maintains guidance documents to provide standard operating guidelines for use by Division of Surface Water employees as they carry out job duties related to water quality and permitting. These staff carry out a variety of tasks ranging from environmental sampling, modeling, facility inspections, plan review and permit writing, all of which have certain requirements stipulated in statute or regulations. Guidance documents provide background and instructions to staff relative to key aspects of their work. This internal guidance does not affect the requirements found in the referenced rules and statutes.

If you would like a copy of any of the guidance documents that are not available in PDF format, call the Division of Surface Water at 614-644-2001 or write to:

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Division of Surface Water
50 West Town Street, Suite 700
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049

DSW Guidance Documents

Also see Forms and Publications page.

A. Modeling Guidance

  1. Calculating PEQ: determining a discharger's effluent quality (08/23/06) [PDF 35K]
  2. Using dissolved metals translators in WLA calculations (01/30/98) [PDF 14K]
  3. Reasonable potential: calculating loading capacity to determine Group 4 or 5 status (01/30/98) [PDF 15K]
  4. Additivity: identifying carcinogens (01/30/98) [PDF 4K]
  5. Antidegradation and the Wasteload Allocation Process (08/05/03) [PDF 31K]
  6. NH3-N toxicity and D.O. modeling (01/30/98) [PDF 23K]
  7. RESERVED
  8. Information about the Ohio River (08/23/06) [PDF 10K]

B. Water Quality Standards Guidance

  1. Set asides to limit lower water quality (Removed, 08/05/03) [PDF 6K]
  2. Assuring attainment of biological criteria when metals limits are developed under the dissolved metals procedures (07/31/98) [PDF 12K]
  3. Sampling methods for documentation of a public health nuisance under OAC 3745-1-04 (F) & (G) (08/20/98) [PDF 22K]
  4. Legal and technical basis for nutrient target values used in TMDL projects (11/27/00) [PDF 16K]

C. Permit Guidance

  1. Monitoring Frequency Requirements for Sanitary Discharges (11/08/10) [PDF 32K]
  2. Determination of Sampling Frequency Formula for Industrial Waste Discharges (01/30/88) [PDF 17K]
  3. Upstream/Downstream Sampling Requirements (11/08/10) [PDF 10K]
  4. Total Toxic Organics Management (Removed, 08/23/02) [PDF 6K]
  5. Reporting and Testing Guidance for Biomonitoring Required by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (July 1998) [PDF 159K]
  6. Intake Credits/Non-contact Cooling Water (07/28/98) [PDF 171K]
  7. Pollutant Minimization Programs (08/13/98) [PDF 35K]
  8. Concentration and Loading Limits/ Permits (09/15/98) [PDF 41K]
  9. Limits Below Quantification Levels (11/08/10) [PDF 44K]
  10. Mercury Variance Guidance (06/23/00) [PDF 48K]
  11. Monitoring and Reporting for Sewage Sludge (05/20/10) [PDF 71K]
  12. BADCT Limits for Volatile Organic Compounds (11/08/10) [PDF 26K]

D. Permit to Install and Related Guidance

  1. Procedure for the Review and Processing of Joint Sewer Service Contracts (11/21/96) [PDF 7K]
  2. Sewage: Collection, Treatment & Disposal Where Public Sewers Are Not Available (Greenbook) (1993) [PDF 926K]. Note: This revised PDF includes "call out" boxes that refer to current rules that supersede the current Greenbook content. Please use the Interim Onsite Sewage Treatment System Guidance Document for all onsite sewage treatment system related questions.
  3. Small Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands with Soil Dispersal System (11/05/07) [PDF 690K]
  4. Interim Onsite Sewage Treatment System Guidance Document (8/5/11) [PDF 1,173K]. Note: This guidance document is intended to bridge the gap between the Greenbook and the future Ohio EPA OSTS rule.
  5. Drip Distribution Systems (12/08) [PDF 462K]
  In addition to the guidance above, Ohio EPA utilizes guidance in Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities (2004 ed.), also known as 10 State Standards.  This Health Education Services publication is available through the Health Education Services Website at http://www.healthresearch.org/store.

Clarification of how Ohio EPA uses the 100 gallons per capita design standard for wastewater treatment facilities is in this October 14, 2003 letter [PDF 243K].

 

E. Pretreatment Guidance

  1. The Use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) as Industrial Local Pretreatment Limits (06/21/00) [PDF 20K]
  2. Pretreatment Streamlining Rule (10/04/07) [PDF 56K]

F. Wetland Guidance

  1. Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands (02/01/01) [PDF 13K]

G. Other Published Guidance Documents

  1. Guidelines for the Submittal of Demonstrations Pursuant to Sections 316(a) and 316(b) of the Clean Water Act and Chapter 3745-1 of the Ohio Administrative Code (09/30/78) [PDF 3.4M]
  2. Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life, Volume I: The Role of Biological Data in Water Quality Assessment (02/15/88)
  3. Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life, Volume II: User’s Manual for Biological Field Assessment of Ohio Surface Waters (01/01/88)
  4. Biological Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life, Volume III: Standardized Biological Field Sampling and Laboratory Methods for Assessing Fish and Macroinvertebrate Communities (09/30/89)
  5. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index [QHEI]: Rationale, Methods, and Application (11/06/89)
  6. Fish Tissue Guidance
  7. User’s Guide: Monthly Operating Report System (December 1994)
  8. Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) (May 1995)
  9. Land Application of Biosolids Manual (Removed, 08/23/02) [PDF 6K]
  10. Sediment Sampling Guide and Methodologies (3rd Edition) (March 2012) [PDF 1,550K]
    Ohio EPA DERR Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance - page 3-28 [PDF 2,579K] contains Ohio-specific sediment reference (background) values for metals in Ohio streams.
  11. Guidance on Evaluating Sediment Contaminant Results (January 2010) [PDF 243K]
  12. Field Evaluation Manual for Ohio's Primary Headwater Habitat Streams
  13. Delisting Targets for Ohio Areas of Concern (December 2008) [PDF 1,684K]

 

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Contact the Division of Surface Water
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049
Street Address: 50 West Town Street, Suite 700 Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 644-2001 ~ Fax: 644-2745 ~ E-mail
Emergency Response Hotline (800) 282-9378