What is a Designated Use?

All of the streams in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have an aquatic life designated use as well and one or more human life designated uses. These uses include fishing, water contact sports, and potable water supply. The objectives of Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law are:

• To protect these existing stream uses
• To bring up to standards those stream segments which fail to support their designated uses.
  For a list of these designated uses, refer to Chapter 93 of the Clean Streams Law (www.pacode.com, Title 25). Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law predates the federal Clean Water Act, but draws its authority from federal law.

Designated uses and their corresponding standards form the basis of limits written into discharge permits issued by the State, provide a yardstick to gauge the health of a section of the creek, and provide criteria for the Conservation District’s and Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) review of stormwater discharge permit applications submitted by developers for proposed new development projects.