Environmental Contaminants Water Quality

New Mexico Adopts Human Health Standards

Back to Water Quality

On May 14, 2002, New Mexico adopted water quality standards for 91 priority pollutants designed to protect human health during consumption of aquatic life from its streams, rivers, and lakes. Since 1998, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has worked with the New Mexico Environment Department and United States Environmental Protection Agency to consider water quality standards that protect the health of people who consume fish and other aquatic life. In a February 22, 2002 letter, and as testimony by Environmental Contaminants Program and supervisory personnel provided on March 15, 2002, the Service recommended that the Water Quality Control Commission adopt human health standards as they would provide additional protection to wildlife that consume aquatic life. Adoption of human health standards would also reduce the release, amount, and adverse effects of these priority pollutants in New Mexico's streams, rivers, lakes, and riparian habitats thereby benefitting fish and wildlife. By state action, water quality standards for toxic chemicals such as lindane, dieldrin, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, combustion byproducts, and solvents were made more stringent and apply to all discharges to New Mexico's ephemeral arroyos, intermittent streams, and surface waters of the state.

Back to Water Quality