Abstract
A numerical water quality criterion in the U.S. consists of three components representing magnitude, duration, and frequency. While magnitude and duration are well defined and conceptually unambiguous, the meaning of the frequency component is often debatable. We interpret the frequency component as a tool for accounting for uncertainty in estimating the mean concentration of a water quality constituent, after revisiting early works on environmental standards and criteria. Based on this interpretation, we illustrate management-related issues when using the default frequency of one exceedance in 3 years in compliance assessment. We propose a data-driven approach for estimating an appropriate frequency to ensure a consistent level of confidence in a water’s compliance of a water quality criterion. The data-driven frequency is determined by water quality constituent concentration distribution characteristics and sample size. The method is illustrated using two examples.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks Craig Stow, Robert Miltner, Michael Paul, and Yoonkyung Cha for their insightful discussions and comments on an early version of the paper. We thank four reviewers and the associate editor for their constructive comments and suggestions. J. Frey and J. Bailey kindly provided the data used in the paper. Comments from S. Cormier are greatly appreciated.
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Qian, S.S. The Frequency Component of Water Quality Criterion Compliance Assessment Should be Data Driven. Environmental Management 56, 24–33 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0493-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0493-1