Water Quality Standards Regulation (Renewal)

Forms and Documents

Forms and supporting documents for this ICR

Document	Type	Status	Availability
0988ss17.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2026-07-30	Available
0988_RTC_17.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2026-07-30	Available
0988_60dayfrn_17.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2026-07-30	Available

IC Document Collections

Information collection document groups

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
281733	Tribal Applications for TAS		New
281732	Tribal-State Dispute Resolution Requests		New
233420	Voluntary WQS Program Information; States and Tribes		Modified
233419	Dispute Res. Requests and TAS Applications; Tribes and States		Removed
233418	Great Lakes WQS Requirements; States and Tribes		Removed
233416	Great Lakes WQS Requirements; Dischargers		Removed
233414	Administering State and Tribal WQS		Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 2040-0049	ICR Reference No: 202607-2040-003
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202410-2040-003
Agency/Subagency: EPA/OW	Agency Tracking No: 0988.17
Title: Water Quality Standards Regulation (Renewal)
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 07/31/2026

table that charts list comparision

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	07/31/2026
Responses	1,184	1,277
Time Burden (Hours)	493,362	480,242
Cost Burden (Dollars)	345,180	263,520

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Abstract: The Water Quality Standards (WQS) regulation at 40 CFR part 131 establishes the framework for states and authorized tribes to adopt WQS for waters of the United States, and for the EPA to review and approve or disapprove the WQS. This ICR is for information collections needed to implement the WQS regulation, required to obtain or retain benefits (e.g., relaxed regulatory requirements) under the WQS regulation, and to collect voluntary program information useful in administering WQS programs effectively and efficiently. This ICR renewal describes the estimated information collection burden for states, authorized tribes, tribes seeking authorization, and certain Great Lakes dischargers to: adopt, review, and revise WQS; comply with specific requirements of the regulation; submit tribal applications to be treated in a similar manner as a state (TAS); request regulatory relief; request certain EPA dispute resolution assistance; and provide voluntary WQS program information.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 33 USC 1313c Name of Law: Clean Water Act
   US Code: 33 USC 1377 Name of Law: Clean Water Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 48163	06/05/2024
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	90 FR 10895	02/28/2025
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 4

table that charts list of burden

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Administering State and Tribal WQS
Dispute Res. Requests and TAS Applications; Tribes and States
Great Lakes WQS Requirements; Dischargers
Great Lakes WQS Requirements; States and Tribes
Tribal Applications for TAS
Tribal-State Dispute Resolution Requests
Voluntary WQS Program Information; States and Tribes

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ICR Summary of Burden

table that charts list of burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	1,184	1,277	0	0	-93	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	493,362	480,242	0	0	13,120	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	345,180	263,520	0	0	81,660	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The full reporting burden for the two Great Lakes collections (i.e., Great Lakes Antidegradation Demonstrations and the Great Lakes Regulatory Relief Requests) is being transferred to and consolidated within the NPDES Program ICR (OMB Control Number 2040-0004) via the renewal package for that collection (EPA ICR # 0229.27). Zeroing-out these two ICs should result in the overall ICR having -148 responses and -9480 hrs. of Program Change Due to Agency Discretion and +55 responses and +22,600 hours of change Due to Adjustment in Office Estimates. ROCIS, however, is not working correctly and continues to push all change to the Adjustments in Agency Estimate column. The helpdesk was notified but has been unable to remedy the situation.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $4,301,925

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 07/31/2026

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