Or. Admin. Code § 340-041-0053

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 10, October 1, 2024

Section 340-041-0053 - Mixing Zones

(1) The Department may allow a designated portion of a receiving water to serve as a zone of dilution for wastewaters and receiving waters to mix thoroughly and this zone will be defined as a mixing zone;

(2) The Department may suspend all or part of the water quality standards, or set less restrictive standards in the defined mixing zone, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) A point source for which the mixing zone is established may not cause or significantly contribute to any of the following:

(A) Materials in concentrations that will cause acute toxicity to aquatic life as measured by a Department approved bioassay method. Acute toxicity is lethal to aquatic life as measured by a significant difference in lethal concentration between the control and 100 percent effluent in an acute bioassay test. Lethality in 100 percent effluent may be allowed due to ammonia and chlorine only when it is demonstrated on a case-by-case basis that immediate dilution of the effluent within the mixing zone reduces toxicity below lethal concentrations. The Department may on a case-by-case basis establish a zone of immediate dilution if appropriate for other parameters;

(B) Materials that will settle to form objectionable deposits;

(C) Floating debris, oil, scum, or other materials that cause nuisance conditions; and

(D) Substances in concentrations that produce deleterious amounts of fungal or bacterial growths.

(b) A point source for which the mixing zone is established may not cause or significantly contribute to any of the following conditions outside the boundary of the mixing zone:

(A) Materials in concentrations that will cause chronic (sublethal) toxicity. Chronic toxicity is measured as the concentration that causes long-term sublethal effects, such as significantly impaired growth or reproduction in aquatic organisms, during a testing period based on test species life cycle. Procedures and end points will be specified by the Department in wastewater discharge permits;

(B) Exceedances of any other water quality standards under normal annual low flow conditions.

(c) The limits of the mixing zone must be described in the wastewater discharge permit. In determining the location, surface area, and volume of a mixing zone area, the Department may use appropriate mixing zone guidelines to assess the biological, physical, and chemical character of receiving waters, effluent, and the most appropriate placement of the outfall, to protect instream water quality, public health, and other beneficial uses. Based on receiving water and effluent characteristics, the Department will define a mixing zone in the immediate area of a wastewater discharge to:

(A) Be as small as feasible;

(B) Avoid overlap with any other mixing zones to the extent possible and be less than the total stream width as necessary to allow passage of fish and other aquatic organisms;

(C) Minimize adverse effects on the indigenous biological community, especially when species are present that warrant special protection for their economic importance, tribal significance, ecological uniqueness, or other similar reasons determined by the Department and does not block the free passage of aquatic life;

(D) Not threaten public health;

(E) Minimize adverse effects on other designated beneficial uses outside the mixing zone.

(d) Temperature Thermal Plume Limitations. Temperature mixing zones and effluent limits authorized under 340-041-0028(12)(b) will be established to prevent or minimize the following adverse effects to salmonids inside the mixing zone:

(A) Impairment of an active salmonid spawning area where spawning redds are located or likely to be located. This adverse effect is prevented or minimized by limiting potential fish exposure to temperatures of 13 degrees Celsius (55.4 Fahrenheit) or more for salmon and steelhead, and 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) or more for bull trout;

(B) Acute impairment or instantaneous lethality is prevented or minimized by limiting potential fish exposure to temperatures of 32.0 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more to less than 2 seconds);

(C) Thermal shock caused by a sudden increase in water temperature is prevented or minimized by limiting potential fish exposure to temperatures of 25.0 degrees Celsius (77.0 degrees Fahrenheit) or more to less than 5 percent of the cross section of 100 percent of the 7Q10 low flow of the water body; the Department may develop additional exposure timing restrictions to prevent thermal shock; and

(D) Unless the ambient temperature is 21.0 degrees of greater, migration blockage is prevented or minimized by limiting potential fish exposure to temperatures of 21.0 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit) or more to less than 25 percent of the cross section of 100 percent of the 7Q10 low flow of the water body.

(e) The Department may request the applicant of a permitted discharge for which a mixing zone is required, to submit all information necessary to define a mixing zone, such as:

(A) Type of operation to be conducted;

(B) Characteristics of effluent flow rates and composition;

(C) Characteristics of low flows of receiving waters;

(D) Description of potential environmental effects;

(E) Proposed design for outfall structures.

(f) The Department may, as necessary, require mixing zone monitoring studies and/or bioassays to be conducted to evaluate water quality or biological status within and outside the mixing zone boundary;

(g) The Department may change mixing zone limits or require the relocation of an outfall, if it determines that the water quality within the mixing zone adversely affects any existing beneficial uses in the receiving waters.

Or. Admin. Code § 340-041-0053

DEQ 17-2003, f. & cert. ef. 12-9-03; DEQ 1-2007, f. & cert. ef. 3-14-07; DEQ 2-2007, f. & cert. ef. 3-15-07

Stat. Auth.: ORS 468.020, 468B.030, 468B.035 & 468B.048

Stats. Implemented: ORS 468B.030, 468B.035 & 468B.048