Impaired Waters

Overview

The US Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that waterbodies be monitored and listed as impaired if they do not meet all regulations. Impaired waters of North Carolina are listed on the North Carolina 303d list which is approved by the US EPA.

The 303d list is a record of waters that do not meet the water quality standards or which have been determined as impaired based upon CWA regulations. The waters on this list are prioritized and a management strategy or Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) must be developed for all listings.

The Haw River and its tributaries have 19 water bodies that have been classified as impaired. Over 47 miles of the 110 mile long river is classified as impaired as well as over 105 miles of the Haw River’s largest tributaries.

Impairment Classifications Include:
• Fecal Coliform
• Chlorophyll-a (test unit for nutrients)
• Biological Integrity
• Habitat Degradation
• Historical Listing

Main Causes of Impairments Include:
• Urban Runoff
• Storm Sewers
• Municipal Point Source
• Agriculture
• Industrial Point Source

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