Excess nutrients can degrade the quality of our drinking water, impair recreational boating and fishing experiences, and harm fish and aquatic species. Colorado has been directed by the EPA and the Water Quality Control Commission to adopt nutrient criteria to protect our streams and lakes. In October 2017, we established a water quality roadmap that outlines our strategy for developing nutrient criteria and other water quality priorities over ten years from 2017 to 2027.
Revising water quality standards
Over 10 years, from 2017 to 2027, CDPHE will develop or revise the water quality standards listed below. Our plan allows extra time for us to address complicated criteria development. A key point in the plan is our focus on stakeholder input about the complexity of treatment if the commission adopts new or revised standards for multiple substances. We are committed to an extensive stakeholder process including quarterly workgroup meetings.
Each standard will have a technical advisory committee (TAC) that will focus on the technical aspects of each standard. TAC members have technical expertise in the area they are representing. Those that are interested in these topics but do not have the expertise, should participate in the quarterly workgroup meetings. You can find the TAC materials under each standard on the list below.
Standards being revised
- Ammonia
- Arsenic
- Cadmium
- Feasibility
- Nutrients - Lakes
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Nutrients include total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a.
Lakes nutrients - general folder
Lakes nutrients - TAC folder (materials and meeting notes)
- Nutrients - Streams
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Nutrients include total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a.
- Selenium
- Temperature
- Completed projects archive
How to get involved
Upcoming stakeholder meetings:
- Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023 | 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
The meeting recordings, chats, agendas, presentations, and other materials are stored in this public folder.
Sign up to receive notifications about this effort, and scroll down to select “General - 10-Year Roadmap on Water Quality Standards.”
Over ten years, from 2017 to 2027, CDPHE will develop or revise multiple water quality standards.
Our 10-year timeline allows extra time for us to address complicated criteria development. A key point in the plan is our focus on stakeholder input about the complexity of treatment if the commission adopts new or revised standards for multiple substances. We are committed to an extensive stakeholder process, including quarterly workgroup meetings and technical advisory committees.
Each standard will have a technical advisory committee (TAC) that will focus on the technical aspects of each standard. TAC members have professional technical expertise in the area they are representing. Those who are interested in these topics but do not have the expertise should participate in the quarterly workgroup meetings.
If you want to participate in a technical advisory committee, please review the TAC fact sheet and complete this interest form below.
- General questions | cdphe.commentswqcd@state.co.us
- Specific questions | WQ 10-Year Roadmap Contact List