The clean water act (Research Paper Sample)

Clean Water Act
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Clean Water Act
This act is the main law governing water pollution in the United States. Its target is to regulate, reduce and eliminate the chemical, physical and by extension- the biological state of the water in the country (Act, 2008). This law averts and pollution by the government of treatment works and point pollution- and it is hoped that the management of wastewater contributes significantly to the actual cleanliness of national waters.
The strategy employed in control and limitation of pollution of water revolves around various standards and measures as outlined. Point sources are not to discharge wastes (pollutants) without authority from the government environmental agencies for each state in the country. The standards used to quantify the point and the discharge are technologically based, limited by the application of the water quality analysis evaluation for acceptable water quality (Glicksman & Batzel, 2010). The states in question are to liaise with the communities affected to classify the designated uses of the water – and hence determine the allowable contents that can be disposed of into the water (Act, 2008). The chemical quantity, for example, would be used to decide of water is safe for farming.
For non- point sources, pollutants involving agricultural storm water runoff are exempted from needing a permit, but with actual government support for control of the same. The industrial sources are however not excused, as the discharge from these sources can be controlled. Municipal runoff is however not defined, although it is excused- but it remains the responsibility of the governing body (Copeland, 2006). A financing program e...