Water Quality Assessment

Georgia EPD reviews water quality data to assess the condition of the waters of the State.  Two types of water quality assessment reports are produced.  The 305(b)/303(d) Integrated Report and the Fish Consumption Guidelines.  

305(b)/303(d) Integrated Report

To meet the requirements of sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act Georgia assesses its waters every two years and publishes the “Water Quality in Georgia” report.  This report describes the quality of all the waters in the State and contains a list of waters in good condition and those impaired/polluted.  The 303(d) List are waters that are impaired and require a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).  Georgia combines the 305(b) and 303(d) reporting requirements into a single document called the Integrated Report.  Current and historical copies of Georgia’s Integrated Reports can be found here: Water Quality in Georgia. 

Fish Consumption Guidelines

EPD publishes the Fish Consumption Guidelines each year.  The purpose of these guidelines is to provide detailed information on what fish can be eaten and how often.  Chemical levels in the tissue of commonly eaten fish are assessed to develop these guidelines.  These guidelines are not intended to discourage people from eating fish, but may be used as a guide for choosing the species and size fish to eat.