Water Quality Standards Academy
To support water quality standards development, we offer the Water Quality Standards Academy (WQS Academy), which presents classroom-based and online courses, along with occasional webinars.
Live Virtual WQS Academies
The WQS Academy (WQSA) provides WQS development and implementation information to WQS professionals associated with the federal, state, tribal and local agencies as well as the private sector. This highly structured training course covers all aspects of the water quality standards regulations, including the technical, scientific, administrative, and procedural aspects. The WQSA is an introductory course designed for those with six months to one year experience with water quality standards and criteria programs. However, others may benefit from the course, including veterans of the water quality standards program who want a refresher course.
EPA hosts the live virtual WQSA sessions in a half-day format held over 6 consecutive business days to allow for participation from multiple time-zones. The virtual session is typically offered twice each year, usually in the spring and winter.
Information on future live virtual sessions of the WQS Academy will appear on this page. Registration for the WQSA is free and open to the public.
Sign up for the EPA’s WQSnews listserv to receive information on registration for future WQS Academy sessions, and other WQS news
Virtual WQS Academy February 2026 Session Slides
Because of the popularity of the WQS Academy live sessions, EPA has posted a copy of the slide decks used during presentations from the February 2026 virtual WQS Academy session. These files could be useful for those who have not yet attended a live course but wish to become familiar with important WQS concepts before attending the next available WQS Academy or for those who would like a refresher after having already taken the WQS Academy.
The information in the presentations was reviewed by EPA staff for technical accuracy. However, the information is only up to date as of the date of the presentation.
Please consider registering for a future live WQS Academy to obtain the latest information and benefit from live interaction with instructors on each topic. These files are intended to be an interim resource and do not provide the same level of training as the live WQS Academy. We encourage all interested in WQS Academy to register for the next available session.
Please note the following, also included as the first slide of each presentation:
The views expressed in the modules and during the presentation were those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of EPA.
These presentations do not:
- Impose any binding requirements
- Determine the obligations of the regulated community
- Change or substitute for any statutory provision or regulatory requirement
- Change or substitute for any Agency policy or guidance
- Control in any case of conflict between this discussion and statute, regulation, policy, or guidance
- Overview of the EPA, the Clean Water Act, and Water Quality Standards (pdf)
- Designated Uses and Revising Designated Uses (pdf)
- Introduction to Criteria (pdf)
- Nutrient Criteria (pdf)
- Human Health Ambient Water Quality Criteria (pdf)
- Biological Criteria (pdf)
- Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxics (pdf)
- Site-Specific Criteria and Site-Dependent Criteria (pdf)
- Recreational Water Quality Criteria for Primary Contact Recreation (pdf)
- Antidegradation (pdf)
- Water Quality Standards Variances (pdf)
- Economic Considerations in Water Quality Standards (pdf)
- Water Quality Standards Development and Review (pdf)
- Water Quality Standards for Tribal Waters (pdf)
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program Overview (pdf)
- Permitting Tools with Roots in Water Quality Standards (pdf)
- Wetland WQS and Clean Water Act Section 404 (pdf)
- Monitoring and Assessment (pdf)
- Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Listings and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) (pdf)
- Tools for Achieving Water Quality Standards (pdf)
Online Modules
Online modules are intended to provide users with basic information on topics that are not regularly covered in the live virtual academy.