What Are The Clean Water Act, NPDES, and 303(d)?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water administers the Clean Water Act, first enacted in October 1972. The Clean Water Act is the federal umbrella legislation that protects all types of water bodies, including rivers, lakes, aquifers, and coastal areas. The goal of the Clean Water Act is to improve the quality of the nation s waters through the following mandates: Requires major industries to meet performance standards to ensure pollution control. Charges states and tribes with setting specific water quality criteria appropriate for their waters and developing pollution control programs to meet them. Provides funding to states and communities to help them meet their clean water infrastructure needs. Protects valuable wetlands and other aquatic habitats through a permitting process that ensures development and other activities are conducted in an environmentally sound manner. Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination S
