User:AdyerVU/Nutrient pollution

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Although an excess of nutrients can pollute water past the point of safe use, all water, especially that which sustains aquatic life, need some nutrients to maintain a healthy ecosystem. As this balance of nutrients varies greatly for different waters, nutrient water quality criteria tend to be set through narrative standards, rather than numeric. This means that nutrient standards are dictated by the negative consequence of nutrients.

States are allowed to dictate their own nutrient water quality criteria and determine what standards are appropriate for what use. The state's decided water quality standards (WQS) are reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the standards set by the state are in alignment with the Clean Water Act.