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History of the "Clean Water Act"
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the principle law governing pollution
control and water quality in the U.S. The objective of this Act is to restore and
maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.
The CWA has been amended numerous times and has been given a number of titles, including
the Water Pollution Control Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Federal
Water Quality Act.
Water
Pollution Control Act, 1948
During the first decades of the 20th century, little
regard was given to the discharge of municipal and industrial wastes, and pollution of the
nation’s waters was common. Many streams, rivers, and lakes were so polluted that
fish were dying in large numbers, and the water was unfit for swimming. Manhattan was
described as "an island in New York
surrounded by sewage". Congress reacted to these problems by passing the Water
Pollution Control Act of 1948. This Act authorized the federal government to help local
governments solve their water quality problems. But congress failed to appropriate money
for construction, so the Act did little to improve the problems of polluted waters.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 1972
Although Congress made some attempts in the 1950s and 1960s to
strengthen the Water Pollution Control Act, water pollution problems continued to
increase. By 1970, virtually every State had rivers or lakes in crisis condition because
of uncontrolled wastewater discharges. In response to these problems, the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act of 1972 established a national goal that all waters in the U.S.
should be made fishable and fit for swimming. Among other things, this Act provided $18
billion in grants for construction of wastewater treatment facilities, established the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, and required
States to establish total maximum daily loads for pollutants in their waters.
Clean Water Act,
1977
In 1977, amendments were made to the Water Pollution Control Act, giving
the Act its current title. These amendments gave the EPA the authority to set effluent and
water quality standards for all contaminants in the nation’s waters. The act made it
unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into surface waters without a
NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit.
Water Quality
Act, 1987
In 1987, amendments were made to the CWA (Clean Water Act) to help
cities obtain low-cost funding for wastewater treatment, and non-point source pollution
control. At the same time, the act shifted much of the burden of paying for water quality
programs to the shoulders of local governments. The legislation also created the National
Estuary Program to help remediate, protect, and preserve our estuaries.
Results of CWA and
its amendments
Although all the goals of the CWA have not been met, there is no
doubt that the CWA has brought about tremendous improvements in the quality of the
nation’s waters. Our surface waters are getting cleaner. Implementation of the NPDES
program, and the installation of improved effluent treatment, has led to significant
reduction in the discharge of pollutants. Results can be seen in improvement in dissolved
oxygen levels, reduction in algal blooms, and increased fish abundance and diversity.
These improvements have resulted in an economic boom in many cities throughout out the
U.S., as new businesses, conventions, and tourists have been drawn to waterfronts.
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Page last updated: 07/22/99
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