AWRA Spring Specialty Conference

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Clean Water Act
Law, Policy and Economics
Malini De
Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service
Grant 2001-51130-11373
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
2
Evolution of the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act, 1972 passed to improve and
protect surface water quality of the waters of
the United States of America following severe
deterioration of surface water
an attempt to bring in more regulations increas
e in public awareness about environmental issues

1899 Rivers and Harbors Act first federal
legislation to protect nations waters from
effluents and construction activities 1948
Water Pollution Control Act reducing pollution
and improving sanitary condition of the waters of
the Nation and provide funding for water quality
improvement programs 1965 Water Quality
Act charged states with setting water quality
standards for interstate navigable waters



CWA

1972, Clean Water Act
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Goals of the Act

• Broad goal was to protect the
• surface water of the country with
• specific focus on
• 1. All water safe for fishing and swimming by
  1983
• 2. Eliminate the discharge of pollutants into
  navigable waters by 1985
• 3. Prohibit discharge of toxic pollutants in
• toxic amounts

Interstate Waters
Some Intrastate Waters
Tributaries of the above
Territorial Seas
Wetlands
Waters of the United States
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Structure of the Act
Water Quality Standards Applicable to surface
waters Key Elements designated uses, water
quality criteria and antidegradation
Additional Policies
Conduct Monitoring
Meeting Water quality standards ?
NO
Regulate and Develop Strategies NPDES, TMDLs,
319, 404, 401 SRF
Yes
Antidegradation Policy
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Paradigm Shift in Clean Water Act
Point Source Pollution Non Point Source
Pollution Technology based
Water Quality Based Approach
NPDES TMDLs
3. After 30 years of CWA 40 of the
Water remains impaired
1. Shift in 1990s following the 1997
amendments
4. Law suits filed against EPA for not
meeting water quality Standards under
the section 319
2.The majority of these pollution came from
Non Point Sources
Source Texas Natural Reserve Conservation
Commission, 1997, Table 1
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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TMDL
TMDLs The amount of a pollutant that a water
body, such as a stream, river, lake, reservoir or
wetland can receive and Still meet designated
water quality standards What is mandated ? Any
impaired waterbody must be listed under
303(d) and TMDLs must be developed by the state,
territory, or tribe. This list is updated once
every two years. What are the challenges for
TMDL development ? a) Non-availability of
reliable data, b) Expensive to develop c)
Time constraints, d) Right model usage e)
New nutrient standards and air deposition
affects TMDL development
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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HOT Issues!!!!
Snipe! Snipe! Snipe!
A reduction of 500 million in Clean Water
State Revolving Fund!!
Security Issues regarding water infrastructure
in the post 9/11 period
Budget FY 2004
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Source of Funding for CWA
Mostly in Form of Grants Clean Water State
Revolving Fund Program Grants CWA water
pollution control program grants CWA non point
source grants Other Grants Area or project
specific
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Financing CWA
Financial Requirements in 1996
Urban Runoff 1.0 1
Nonpoint Source 9.4 7
Ground Water, Estuaries, Wetlands 1.1 1
Controlling CSO 44.7 32
New Sewer Construction 21.8 15
Upgrading Existing Systems 10.3 7
Storm Water 7.4 5
Wastewater Treatment 44 32
Source USEPA
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Financing CWA
Current Need
About 390 billion for waste water treatment
plants over the next two decades Expected 122
billion gap in the next two decades
Already Spent ! 75 Billion of federal
funds 25 Billion of State and Local Govt.
Funds
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Role of CWA in an Agro-ecosystem

• Main Water Quality Problems Associated with
  Agro-ecosystems
• Sediment and Nutrient Pollution
• Other NPS discharges like pesticide
  contamination
• Destruction of wetlands and wildlife/aquatic life
• Point Source Discharges from CAFOs and feedlots
• Soil Erosion

Agro-ecosystem
Clean Water Act
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Role of CWA in an Agro-ecosystem
Role of CWA in Agro-ecosystems
Iowa 1.Monitor the ambient water regularly 2.
Build up reliable data source 3. Fund Municipal
Waste Water/Research 4. Regulate the Water
Quality by NPDES, TMDLs, MS4 5. Reduce Soil
Erosion by implementing Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
Agro-ecosystem
Clean Water Act
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Clean Water Act in Iowa

• Water Pollution Control Program
• Water Quality Management Programs
• Water quality standards Program
• Point Source Pollution Program
• Non Point Source Pollution Program
• Soil Conservation Programs
• Water Quality is not as bad as one thinks it to
  be
• Reduction in Water Impairment
• Reduction of sediment transport and pollution
• A good understanding of our waters

AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Clean Water Act USDA project
Policy The Act
Programs Amendments
Science Monitoring
Modeling Research Sampling
Technology Technology Forcing Computer
Modeling/GIS (TMDLs)
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Past Analysis
Data Source Iowa Department of Natural
Resources, 1999-2002 1. Concentration of
herbicides in microgram/l 2. Flow Rate (cubic
feet/sec)
IOWA
Results 1. Presence of Spatial and Temporal
Variability in Herbicide mass 2. Herbicide mass
was positively and significantly correlated
with spring flush 3. Mass of herbicides
was higher in lower order streams 4.
Occasionally violated MCLs 5. No significant
effects of the additivity of chemicals and
metabolites
N
Upper Iowa River Volga River North
Maquoketa River English River Iowa River East
Nishnabotna River Chariton River North River
Floyd River North Raccoon River Soldier
River South Skunk River East Fork of Des Moines
River West Fork Cedar River Cedar River Cedar
Creek
AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Future Research Ideas

• The Future of the Clean Water Act in a
  recessionary/terrorist threatened era
• Research, possibilities of developing TMDLs for
  Iowa and meet up the current challenges
• Research on better utilization of Clean Water Act
  for reducing ambient water pollution and soil
  protection in Iowa
• Integrate Clean Water Act with Safe Drinking
  Water Act for better management, optimization of
  economic resources and protection of our health
  with improved data sources.

AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Photo Clip References

• www.stultzphoto.com/ water_drop_.htm,
  www.nctimes.net/news/ 090100/3.gi,
  ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1994/
  102-9/focuscuyahoga.JPG, hazmat.dot.gov/graphics/
  rules.gif, www.oerb.com/images/
  publicawareness.jpg, www.waterfronttrail.org/
  images/coverimghum.jpg , www.bigeastern.com/kankak
  ee/ images/rockcreek-kids.jpg
• www.visit-china-97.com/chinabrief/
  image/016.jpg, www.adventurevalley.com/wings/
  images/wetlands.jpg , www.generate.qld.gov.au/
  images/money.gif www.sedlab.olemiss.edu/cwp_unit/
  images/Report17.jpg,
• drake.marin.k12.ca.us/.../
  ands20in20clean20water.jpg
• www.ci.north-logan.ut.us/ .../Image16.gif

AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003
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Acknowledgements

• Department of Geography, Univ. of Iowa
• USDA Project
• R. Rajagopal
• Edwin Brands
• Katherine Foreman

AWRA Spring Specialty Conference Agricultural
Hydrology and Water Quality 12-14 May, 2003