Surface Water
The Surface Water Division (SWD), one of the six divisions of the MDEQ Office of Pollution Control (OPC), leads MDEQ’s water quality protection and restoration initiative. The SWD is responsible for dealing with issues related to the water quality of all intrastate, interstate, and coastal waters. The quality of these waters has a profound effect upon the health and welfare of citizens, wildlife, fish, and aquatic life, as well as domestic, agricultural, industrial, and recreational activities.
In order to effectively protect and restore Mississippi’s surface water resources, the SWD, through its branches, oversees the following:
- Collection and assessment of data
- Development of water quality models and TMDLs
- Implementation of Mississippi’s Basin Management Approach by building effective partnerships with government agencies, non-government organizations and other stakeholders
- Provision of funding assistance and other support
- Development water quality standards
The SWD is comprised of six branches as shown below:
- Basin Management Branch: Implements Basin Management Approach to help lead MDEQ’s water quality protection and restoration initiative.
- Construction Branch: Administers Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Loan Programs for wastewater facilities and nonpoint source pollution control projects.
- Modeling and TMDL Branch: Develops water quality models and total maximum daily loads (TMDL) for water bodies not meeting their designated use.
- Nonpoint Source Management Branch: Administers both regulatory and non-regulatory programs to help reduce or eliminate polluted runoff that degrades water bodies in Mississippi.
- Water Quality Standards Branch: Assigns designated uses to Mississippi’s surface waters and adopts criteria designed to protect those uses.
- Priority Framework
