Clean Water Act of 1972

First, water quality standards (WQS) consistent with the statutory goals of the CWA must be established. Then waterbodies are monitored to determine whether the WQS are met.

If all WQS are met, then antidegradation policies and programs are employed to keep the water quality at acceptable levels. Ambient monitoring is also needed to ensure that this is the case.

If the waterbody is not meeting WQS, a strategy for meeting these standards must be developed. The most common type of strategy is the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). TMDLs determine what level of pollutant load would be consistent with meeting WQS. TMDLs also allocate acceptable loads among sources of the relevant pollutants.

Necessary reductions in pollutant loading are achieved by implementing strategies authorized by the CWA, along with any other tools available from federal, state, and local governments and nongovernmental organizations. Key CWA tools include the following:

NPDES permit program
Covers point sources of pollution discharging into a surface waterbody.

Section 319
Addresses nonpoint sources of pollution, such as most farming and forestry operations, largely through grants.

Section 404
Regulates the placement of dredged or fill materials into wetlands and other Waters of the United States.

Section 401
Requires federal agencies to obtain certification from the state, territory, or Indian tribes before issuing permits that would result in increased pollutant loads to a waterbody. The certification is issued only if such increased loads would not cause or contribute to exceedances of water quality standards.

State Revolving Funds (SRF)
Provides large amounts of money in the form of loans for municipal point sources, nonpoint sources, and other activities.

Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, signed into law on October 10, 2000, amended the Clean Water Act (CWA), to incorporate provisions to reduce the risk of illness to users of the Nation's recreational waters.

The BEACH Act requires coastal and Great Lakes States to adopt the 1986 EPA Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria and to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification plans for bathing beaches.

EPA's Listing of Laws, Regulations and Federally Promulgated Standards

Laws
Clean Water Act

Sections related to water quality standards:
Section 101(a)
Declaration of Goals and Policy

Section 303
Water Quality Standards and Implementation Plans

Section 401
Permits and Licenses - Certification

Section 510
State Authority

Regulations
Water Quality Standards: CFR Title 40 Part 131
Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System: CFR Title 40 Part 132

Federally promulgated standards
(listed in chronological order)

• Final Water Quality Standards Bacteria Rule for Coastal and Great Lakes Recreation Waters (November 8, 2004)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Alaska, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico (October 29, 2004)
• Development of Water Quality Standards for Indian Country (April 2004)
• Approval of West Virginia Water Quality Standards
• Water Quality Standards for Oregon (March 2, 2004) Water Quality Standards for Puerto Rico
• Withdrawal of Federal Nutrient Standards for the State of Arizona (November 6, 2003)
• Withdrawal of Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Copper and Nickel Applicable to South San Francisco Bay, California
• Federal Promulgation of State Water Quality Standards for AL, AZ, ID, KS, KY & PA (November 2003)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and New Jersey
• Withdrawal of Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Toxic Pollutants Applicable to Michigan.
• Withdrawal of the Federal Designated Use for Shields Gulch in Idaho.
• Review and Approval of State and Tribal Water Quality Standards - "Alaska Rule" (April 2000)
• Withdrawal of Certain Federal Human Health and Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Kansas and Idaho (April 12, 2000)
• Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Pollutants for the State of California (California Toxics Rule) (May 2000)
• Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic Pollutants; States' Compliance--Revision of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Criteria (November 1999)
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) seeking comments from interested parties on possible revisions to the Water Quality Standards Regulation at 40 CFR Part 131 (April 1998)