The 1972 Clean Water Act was created to protect our precious water resources by focusing on cleaning up water pollution and creating clean water for human consumption and use. Clean drinking water is critical for life, and water pollution threatens that resource. Improving water quality improves health and various aspects of life.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, which was enacted in 1972, was amended in 1977 and became commonly known as the Clean Water Act. The 1972 Clean Water Act is the primary United States federal law that governs water pollution. In the late 60's and early 70's, the importance of healthy drinking water was recognized and metropolitan areas found it necessary to build water treatment plants for its residents.
At that time, there was no definition for clean, pure water and there were no standards for treating water. As such, the goal of the 1972 Clean Water Act was to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters". More specifically, the 1972 Clean Water Act set deadlines for ensuring the safety of surface waters for recreation (by 1983) and for eliminating the release of high levels of toxic substances and other water pollution to water (by 1985).
To achieve the important goals of the 1972 Clean Water Act, each state has been authorized to establish and administer a water quality standards program. The water quality standards program includes three major components: designated uses, water quality criteria and anti-degradation.
- Designated Uses
Each state must designate one or more uses for each body of water within its state. Further, these designated uses must be formally recognized and protected by state and federal governments. - Water Quality Criteria
In order to protect the designated use for each body of water, the state must develop water quality criteria that will effectively protect the designated use. - Anti-degradation
As the foundation to support designated uses, each state must implement an antidegradation policy that ensures that clean water remains clean and that polluted water doesn't become more polluted.
These three elements of a state's water quality standards program are an effective mechanism to set goals and requirements for each body of water. In addition, they serve to protect, restore and maintain the quality of water, and to enforce the limits and restrictions placed on each body of water. When a state develops strong water quality standards and backs these standards with enforcement, the process of cleaning polluted waters and maintaining clean, healthy water is successful. However, if a state has weak standards and/or weak enforcement, water clean-up programs are less successful because some harmful activities could be within the legal rights of the state.
The 1972 Clean Water Act includes a variety of federal enforcement mechanisms that range from administrative orders that encompass compliance and penalties to judicial remedies that include both civil and criminal actions. The Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement settlement policies have been a powerful motivator for individual state water pollution clean-up programs. Plus, federal enforcement activity has been influential in establishing environmental audits and the creation of additional environmental projects.
Fortunately, the impact of the 1972 Clean Water Act has been very successful and water pollution in the United States has dramatically decreased. This Act helps ensure that our recreation facilities are safe for public use and that our water supplies are providing clean, pure, and healthy drinking water. As an added benefit, many old urban and industrialized areas that were once too polluted to use have become prime development areas. Waterfront development has become feasible because the once useless land is now highly desirable real estate.
