Some of the specialized service areas Caltha provides are related to State and Federal water quality standards, environmental and aquatic toxicology, and setting site-specific water quality standards, water quality based effluent limits and NPDES permit limits. Caltha provides these services to clients nationwide.
Our staff have prepared National Ambient Water Quality Criteria for US EPA in the past and today work with dischargers in many States to evaluate proposed and final State water quality standards. Caltha provides expertise in a wide range of chemicals, including metals, organic and inorganic industrial chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and nutrients. On behalf of the regulated community, Caltha provides technical support in the development and evaluation of existing or proposed water quality standards and water quality benchmarks.
We also work with dischargers and their engineers in developing site-specific water quality standards and negotiating water quality-based effluent limits (WQBEL). Caltha has provides expert technical support to plan and conduct studies and evaluations to develop site-specific permit limits and to conduct studies to quantify mitigating factors affecting toxicity of wastewater effluents.
Dischargers to some water bodies need to meet additional requirements, especially for new or expanded waste water discharges. Caltha has the expertise to plan and conduct studies and evaluations required to obtain State or Federal discharge permits for these special waters. We have specialized experience assessing potential impacts of contaminated sediments, including sediment sampling, risk assessment and development of site-specific sediment cleanup goals.
Caltha provides these services working directly for dischargers, or working with civil engineers needing to augment their team with specialized expertise in the areas of permitting and water quality standards. Typical services include:
- Review of proposed water quality standards
- Technical comments on water quality rulemaking on behalf of the regulated community
- Technical review and comment on 303D listings, impaired waters requirements and antidegradation rulemaking
- Technical support in development of site specific discharge standards on behalf of dischargers
- Aquatic life risk assessments, development of aquatic life standards
- Review and summary of national, state and regional water quality data base data
Caltha LLP | Your Water Quality Standards and Permit Limits Partner