Clean Water Acts

The Clean Water Act (CWA or the Water Pollution Control Act) is the cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States and employs a variety of regulatory and nomegulatory tools to sharply reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways and manage polluted runoff. The objective of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of water systems. 

The federal clean water statute makes a distinction between conventional and toxic pollutants. As a result, two standards of treatment are required prior to then-discharge into the navigable waters of the nation. For conventional pollutants 

This section is adapted from USEPA, Summary of the Clean Water Act, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2012 (www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html) SpeUman, F.R., The Science of Water, 2nd ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2007. 

The Clean Water Act was significantly expanded and strengthened in 1972 in response to growing public concern for serious and widespread water pollution problems. This 1972 legislation provided the foundation for subsequent dramatic progress in reducing water pollution. Amendments to the 1972 Clean Water Act were made in 1977,1981, and 1987. 

The Clean Water Act focuses on improving water quality by maintaining and restoring the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation s waters. It provides a comprehensive framework of standards, technical tools, and financial assistance to address the many stressors that can cause pollution and adversely affect water quality, including municipal and industrial wastewater discharges, polluted runoff from urban and rural areas, and habitat destruction. 

The Clean Water Act requires national performance standards for major industries (such as iron and steel manufacturing and petroleum refining) that provide a minimum level of pollution control based on the best technologies available. These national standards result in the removal of over a billion pounds of toxic pollution from our waters every year. 

The Clean Water Act also establishes a framework whereby states and Indian tribes survey their waters, determine an appropriate use (such as recreation or water supply), then set specific water quality criteria for various pollutants to protect those uses. These criteria, together with the national industry standards, are the basis for permits that limit the amount of pollution that can be discharged to a water body. Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, sewage treatment plants and industries that discharge wastewater are required to obtain permits and to meet the specified limits in those permits. 

Section 311 of the CWA also governs the discharge of hazardous substances. Approximately 300 substances were designated as hazardous (40 CFR Part 116). In addition, the EPA designated quantities of these substances that may be considered harmful (i.e., reportable quantity) (40 CFR Part 117). Five categories (X, A, B, C, and D) were designated  

In 1976, EPA s focus changed from control of conventional pollutants (biological oxygen demand and suspended solids) to control of toxic pollutants. This shift in EPA s focus was the result of a lawsuit in 1976 which resulted in the Flannery Decree and in the 1977 amendments. These amendments established a permit program for point souree discharges to foeus on 21 major industrial categories and 65 priority pollutants (see Table 19.2 for list of priority pollutant solvents). Today s list of priority pollutants has been expanded to inelude 129 toxie pollutants from 34 industrial categories. 

In the 1987 amendments of the CWA, Congress incorporated Seetion 319 to establish a national program to eontrol non-point source discharges whieh provided a regulatory schedule for storm water. These amendments also established a revolving loan fund for eon-struetion of sewage treatonent plants and provided EPA with enhaneed enforcement tools.  

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The Clean Water Act (1972) requires discharge limits to be set on industrial and municipal wastewater, and these analyses are outlined in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System for the 600 Series Methods. Method 624 covers the analysis of purgeable organic compounds Method 625 covers the analysis of 81 bases, neutrals, and acids Method 613 describes the analysis of dioxins and furans. 

Glean Water Act. The Water QuaUty Act of 1987 and Clean Water Act of 1977 amended the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, and are known collectively as the Clean Water Act (CWA). Their objective is to restore and maintain the integrity of U.S. waters. There are spill prevention, control, and containment requirements with which to comply. It requires replacement of older storage tanks or installation of double bottoms or seals. 

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) controls the disposal of ha2ardous waste. SARA Tide III governs the toxic iaventory and emission reporting the Clean Water Act (CWA) sets the limits for metals that can be present ia water discharge and the Clear Air Act (CAA)... 

The two main federal agencies involved in the protection of human health and the environment are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). EPA s principal concern is the protection of the environment, in most cases, the area outside of an industrial faciUty. There are 10 regional offices that carry out the regulatory functions of the agency (Table 1). Primary laws covered by EPA are the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and LiabiUty Act (CERCLA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and Eederal Insecticide, Eungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

Effluent Guidelines and Standards. The Clean Water Act requires specific levels of control for dischargers. These are outlined in the Effluent Guidelines and Standards for various industrial categories. These standards limit the discharge of pollutants, usually in terms of a unit weight of pollutant per unit of either product or raw material, rather than a concentration in the discharge stream, in order to eliminate the use of dilution to meet limits. 

Clean Air Act (CAA) Clean Water Act (CWA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)... 

Analysis of Clean Water Act Effluent Guidelines Pollutants. Summary of the Chemicals Regulated by Industrial Point Source Category U.S. EPA, Washiagton, D.C., 40 CFR Parts 400-475, 1991. 

The introduction of surfactant products into the environment, after use by consumers or as part of waste disposed during manufacture, is regulated by the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In this respect, surfactants are subject to the same regulations as chemicals in general. There are, however, two areas of specific relevance to surfactants and detergent products, ie, biodegradabiUty and eutrophication. 

Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) was passed. This act and its various amendments are often referred to as tne Clean Water Act (CWA). It provided loans for treatment plant construction and temporary authority for federal control of interstate water pollution. The enforcement powers were so heavily dependent on the states as... 

Clean Water Aet of 1977 The 1977 Clean Water Act directed EPA to review all BAT guidelines for conventional pollutants in those industries not already covered. 

Biological Criteria While the overall mandate of the Clean Water Act may now be more clearly stated and understood, the tools needed are stiU under development, and their bill application is being worked out. The direction is towards a more comprehensive approach to water quality protection, which might be more appropriately termed water resource protection to encompass the living resources and their habitat along with the water itself. 

These pohcy statements are founded on the existing language and authorities in Clean Water Act Sections 303 (c) (2) (A) and (Bf EPA defined biological criteria as numerical values or narrative expressions used to describe the expected structure and function of the aquatic community. ... 

From the perspective of ecological integrity called for in the Clean Water Act, any adjustment to the implementation of toxic metals criteria needs to be integrated with both sediment criteria and biological criteria to provide ecosystem protection envisioned by the Act. 

A major tac tic that was adopted in the Clean Water Act was to estabhsh uniform technology standards, by class of pollutant and specific industiy type, which applied nationwide to aU dischargers. Thus, a kraft mill in Oregon would have to meet essentially the same discharge standards as a kraft mill in New York. In establishing these... 

Act, making it more consistent with other environmental statutes. The Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act all require permits. 

Any substance designated under the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) as posing a threat to waterways and the environment when released. 

Enter the numbers of any permits your facility holds under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) even if the permit(s) do not pertain to the toxic chemical being reported. This 9-digit permit number is assigned to yourfacility by EPA orthe State under the authority of the Clean Water Act. If yourfacility does not have a permit, enter not applicable, NA, in box a. 

Table 7. Major U.S. Code Sections of the Clean Water Act (codified generally as 33 U.S.C. 1251-1387)...

You can obtain in-depth information on the Clean Water Act from the following references,... 

Sehneider, Paul. Clear Progress, 25 Years of the Clean Water Act. AUDUBON. September/Oetober 1997. pp.36-47,106-107. 

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