Water Quality Restoration Studies

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program

DEM's Office of Water Resources develops water quality restoration studies, with public input, to restore and maintain water quality for impaired/polluted waters. Waters are impaired if they do not meet state water quality criteria. These studies, required by the federal Clean Water Act, are called Total Maximum Daily Loads or  TMDLs. TMDL is a term that represents the total pollutant that a waterbody can assimilate and still meet water quality standards. Learn more about RI’s water quality restoration efforts.

Rhode Island’s TMDL studies identify water quality goals, necessary pollutant reductions to achieve these goals, the sources of pollution found contributing to the pollution problems, and the necessary pollution control actions to achieve the required reductions and restore water quality. To learn more about which waterbodies have TMDLs completed and to view TMDL documents, visit TMDL and Water Quality Restoration Study Documents.

The U.S. EPA Vision framework was intended to help foster integration across 303(d) program areas and focus U.S. EPA and State efforts to advance the effectiveness of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 303(d) Program. Beginning in 2024, states and territories will begin implementation of the USEPA’s 2022 – 2032 Vision for the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Program (referred to as “2022 Vision” or “Vision 2.0”). The final document for Rhode Island’s Vision 2.0 priorities is available below:

Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information Resources

Documents Related to TMDL Projects

TMDL Implementation Guidance

Educational Brochures