Bacterial Objectives

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State Water Boards Bacterial Objectives

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted new statewide bacteria water quality objectives and implementation options to protect recreational users from the effects of pathogens in California water bodies. The objectives and implementation options are a new part 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California, and as an amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for Oceans Waters of California.

Final Documents

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Approval

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) approved the amendments to update the bacteria objectives on March 22, 2019. The amendments are consistent with the requirements of section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act and 40 C.F.R. Part 131.

Office of Administrative Law Approval

The Office of Administrative Law approved State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2018-0038 pursuant to section 11353 of the Government Code on February 4, 2019. This is the effective date under state law. The water quality standards and policies that generally affect the application and implementation of water quality standards will not become effective for Clean Water Act purposes until approved by U.S. EPA.

Available Documents Associated with August 7, 2018 State Water Board Meeting

Previously Released Documents

  • Agenda Item and Draft Resolution for Adoption - (posted 01/26/2018)
  • Revised Proposed Final Part 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California—Bacteria Provisions and a Water Quality Standards Variance Policy - (posted 01/26/2018)
  • Revised Proposed Final Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California—Bacteria Provisions and a Water Quality Standards Variance Policy - (posted 01/26/2018)
  • Updated Notice Of Document Availability - (posted 01/18/2018)
  • Proposed Final Part 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California—Bacteria Provisions and a Water Quality Standards Variance Policy - (posted 01/18/2018)
  • Proposed Final Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California—Bacteria Provisions and a Water Quality Standards Variance Policy - (posted 01/18/2018)
  • Proposed Final Staff Report, including Substitute Environmental Documentation for the Bacteria Provisions - (posted 01/18/2018)
  • Comment Summary and Responses - (posted 01/18/2018)
  • Revised Notice of Consideration - (posted 12/01/2017)
  • Notice of Consideration - (posted 11/2/2017)
  • Comment Letters
  • Staff Workshop Power Point Presentation - (posted 07/10/2017)
  • Draft Staff Report - (posted 06/30/2017)
  • Draft Bacteria Provisions - (posted 06/30/2017)
  • Economics Analysis - (posted 06/27/2017)
  • Revised Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment, Staff Workshop, Public Hearing and Notice of Filing - (posted 06/15/2017)
  • Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment, Staff Workshop, Public Hearing and Notice of Filing - (posted 05/31/2017)
  • Notice of Variance Policy Scoping Meeting
  • Variance Policy Scoping Document
  • Variance Policy Scoping Meeting Power Point Presentation
  • Scoping Document - 2015
  • Scoping Notice - 2015
  • Scoping Meeting PowerPoint Presentation
  • CDPH Uniform Guidelines for Sewage Disinfection

    • Focus Group Outreach

    Focus Group Meeting were held to obtain early input on the scope of the proposed bacteria objectives.

    Existing statutes and regulations

    • Ocean Beaches AB 411, Chaptered into law in 1997 added Sections 115880-115915 to the California Health and Safety Code.
      These statutes (AB411 is the shorthand) are for the California beach water quality monitoring program that samples fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and provides public notification if it is safe to swim based at 476 California coastal and San Francisco Bay saltwater beaches.
    • U.S. EPA Recreational Water Quality Criteria
      U.S. EPA's nationally recommended Recreational Water Quality Criteria (RWQC) protect human health in inland and coastal waters. The criteria are designed to protect primary contact recreation, such as swimming, surfing, and diving.
    • CDPH Beaches and Recreational Waters
      The California Department of Public Health provides links to the Regulations (based on AB411 statutes) and guidance material to assist local health agencies in addressing microbiological contamination of fresh and saltwater beaches and recreational waters.
    • US EPA Nationwide Bacteria Standards Protect Swimmers at Beaches
      A 2004 US EPA overview of the implementation of Beach safety programs nationwide based on the 2000 BEACH Act.

    Bacteria Summit

    2024 Bacteria Summit

    The State Water Board’s Division of Water Quality is helping to plan the 2024 Bacteria Summit, which is tentatively scheduled for 2024. 

    Goals and Purpose of the Summit

    The following are the goals and purpose of the 2024 Bacteria Summit. These may continue to be revised and refined based on input from the survey and during the planning for the Summit.

    • To engage Tribes and Tribal representatives whose perspectives were not highlighted and incorporated in the 2022 Bacteria Summit.
    • To engage nongovernmental organizations and other interested parties whose perspectives were not highlighted and incorporated in the 2022 Bacteria Summit.
    • To incorporate what we learned at the 2022 Bacteria Summit.
    • To better understand the risks of waterborne pathogens to human health. This can include safe water contact while swimming, surfing, or immersion activities. This can also include safe harvesting of shellfish, food, teas, fiber plants, or medicines.
    • To better understand beneficial uses of water affected by bacteria and pathogens, sources of bacteria and pathogens, fecal indicator bacteria water quality objectives, ways that bacteria are measured, monitoring tools, funding needs and opportunities, data communication tools, and more.
    • To seek consensus and work collaboratively to identify and prioritize future actions to reduce risks and achieve safe water contact and safe harvesting.

    Please reach out to Jonathan.Dolan@waterboards.ca.gov if you have any questions.

    2022 Bacteria Summit

    The State Water Resources Control Board and the California Stormwater Quality Association co-hosted a three-day statewide summit on bacteria from September 14-16, 2022. Agenda topics for the summit are available here. The purpose of the summit was to provide a collaborative opportunity to identify the technical and regulatory actions needed to have waters that are safe to swim and shellfish that are safe to eat, as well as to discuss the process to implement those actions.

    Recordings of the Bacteria Summit are available below:

    PowerPoint presentations from the Summit may also be accessed at the following links:
    Day 1 Presentation (September 14, 2022)

    Day 2 Presentations (September 15, 2022)

    Day 3 Presentations (September 16, 2022)

    Contact

    For additional information

    Subscribe to our email list Freshwater Plans and Policies under the Water Quality Section on this page: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.html to receive notifications, updates and other correspondence on this topic.