Considering the Clean Water Act

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Considering the Clean Water Act
Water Environment Federation Nicholas Institute
for Environmental Policy Solutions At Duke
University The Johnson Foundation at
Wingspread Bill Holman Director of State
Policy October 26, 2009
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Nicholas Institutes Mission
Help decision makers create timely, effective,
and economically practical solutions to the
worlds most critical environmental challenges
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Nicholas Institutes Water Work in NC

• Future of Water Conference Report 2007
• NC Water Allocation Policy Project with UNC-CH
  for NC General Assembly 2007- until?
• Falls Lake Nutrient Management Strategy 2008-
  until?
• State Water Infrastructure Commission 2007 -
  until?
• Climate Ready Estuaries Project 2009 until?

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Clean Water SuccessesRivers Dont Catch Fire
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Clean Water Successes

• Dramatic reductions in conventional pollutants
  from municipalities industries
• Investments in water infrastructure
• Skilled labor/water industry created
• Economic development environmental protection

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How did we do it?

• Strong public bipartisan support
• Federal-state-local partnerships
• Regulation effluent/technology based standards
• Research development of technology
• Public private investment in infrastructure
• Public education training
• Swampbuster Sodbuster in later Farm Bills
• Market mechanisms developed later

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Clean Water Failures

• While wastewater decreased sprawl and urban
  stormwater increased
• Filling and alteration of streams, wetlands
  floodplains destroyed functions
• Industrialization of animal agriculture
• Deposition of mercury, nitrogen other
  pollutants from airborne sources

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Enforcement
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Dead Zone in Gulf
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Dead zones in Chesapeake Bay
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Intensive Livestock Operations
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Neuse River NC
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Mercury
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Loss of Habitats Aquatic Species
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Facts on Failures

• 21,000 stream segments
• 300,000 miles of streams
• 5,000,000 acres of lakes
• Dont meet national water quality standards and
  are impaired.

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Climate Drives Hydro Cycle
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Nitrogen Cycle
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What do people care about?

• Drinking water health
• Economy depends upon water
• Recreational uses of water
• Quality of life/Property Values
• Flooding
• Greenways
• Public Access to Public Waters

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What do leaders want?
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Cities

• Greening, sustainability, livability
• Protecting drinking water sources
• Integrating stormwater, flood management with
  recreation
• Capturing reusing rainwater
• Improving wastewater stormwater collection
  treatment

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Agriculture

• Transition to efficiency
• Input costs
• Competition for water
• Ecosystem services
• Nutrients
• Carbon sequestration soil productivity
• Land water conservation

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Water, Energy Economy

• Access to assured supplies of clean water will be
  a critical asset for public health and economic
  growth

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Strengths of Clean Water Act

• Watershed framework science exists to be built
  upon
• Water budgets have to be balanced water
  quantity quality integrated
• Interstate intrastate dispute resolution in era
  of growing conflict over water

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Water Ecosystem Trends

• In 1972 water was cheap, abundant and undervalued
  
• Today, water is a critical, valuable resource
  in some regions
• Water prices are rising
• Ecosystem service valuation tools
• Tomorrow?

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More trends

• Droughts floods
• Interstate intrastate conflicts
• Assured supplies important to business industry
• Energy water
• Design with nature
• Strong environmental grass roots
• Private investment in water
  

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Targeted Watershed Actions

• Chesapeake Bay
• Great Lakes
• Gulf of Mexico
• Drinking water supplies/source waters
• Nutrient Management Strategies for specific water
  bodies
• National Estuary Programs
• Office of Sustainable Watershed Mgt?

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Whats next after Carbon?

• Clean Water Act ?
• Ocean coastal policy?
• Adaptation to climate change?
• Materials resources?
• Ecosystem Services?

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Nat Water Commission?

• Whos developing strategy for 21st century water
  policy?
• Do we need a new national commission on water
  policy?

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Our challenges

• Impaired waters
• New contaminants w/out standards
• Integration of water land use
• Integration of water agriculture
• Integration of water energy
• Adaptation to climate change
• Budget constraints
• Fragmented institutions

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Nicholas Institute Water Programs

• Staff advisors
• Peter McCornick
• Bill Holman
• Amy Pickle
• Gordon Binder
• Randy Benn
• www.nicholas.duke.edu/institute

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