Mississippi Delta Water Quality

Introduction

Mississippi's 1998 Water Quality Assessment Report was prepared by the Office of Pollution Control of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality pursuant to Section 305(b) of the Federal Clean Water Act (Chao, 1456-66). The report was the immediate responsibility of the Surface Water Division's Water Quality Assessment Branch. In addition to the Water Quality Assessment Branch, personnel of the Field Services Division, Ground Water Division, Hazardous Waste Division, and others within the Surface Water Division contributed to the report. Other state and federal resource agencies also contributed data and information.

The purpose paper is to describe for EPA, Congress, and the public the status of the quality of the State's waters. Along with water quality information, the report also gives the causes and sources of pollution for those waters impaired. In addition, water pollution control programs for point and nonpoint sources of pollution are discussed. Environmental improvements for the past two years are documented (Chao, 1456-66).

Special concerns and problems remaining are noted. Also, the State's water quality monitoring program is described. In addition to describing the fixed station ambient monitoring program, various other monitoring programs and special studies are presented. Issues relating to ground water quality are also addressed (Perry, 14-15). Recommendations are given for needed studies, programs and funding to adequately address Mississippi's water quality problems. Mississippi State Department of Health The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) allows States to seek EPA approval or primacy to administer their own Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Programs, often referred to as the drinking water program. To receive program primacy, the EPA must determine that a State meets certain requirements laid out in the SDWA and complementary regulations. Some of these requirements include the adoption of State drinking water regulations that are at least as stringent as the Federal regulations and a demonstration that a State can enforce the program requirements (Zabblotowiez, 214-23).

Mississippi assumed administration of its PWSS Program in 1974 when the Mississippi State Department of Health.s (MSDH) Bureau of Public Water Supply became the primacy agency. This agency is responsible for ensuring that safe drinking water is provided to the 96% of the state.s population who rely on the 1,200 public water systems (PWSs) and their corresponding 3,500 wells operating in Mississippi.

The EPA also regulates the frequency with which PWSs monitor their water supply for contaminants and report the corresponding analytical results. PWSs are required to monitor and verify that the levels of contaminants present in their drinking water supply do not exceed established MCLs. In Mississippi, most PWSs submit all of their samples to the MSDH for analysis at the state laboratory. The laboratory annually processes and analyzes over 50,000 water samples submitted for microbiological analysis as well as hundreds of samples for lead and copper, nitrate/nitrite, various inorganic constituents, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), haloacetic acids, and bromates (Zabblotowiez, 214-23). The overall compliance rate of PWSs in Mississippi is generally very high because of the predominant use of confined aquifers for drinking water ...