Sunday, October 20, 2013

Water Enforcement

Water Enforcement

EPA enforces requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). For more on EPA's enforcement process, go to Basics on enforcement.
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Clean Water Act

Wastewater Management. Under the CWA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, EPA regulates discharges of pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, sewer collection systems, and stormwater discharges from industrial facilities and municipalities. The Clean Water Action Plan targets enforcement to the most important water pollution problems.
  • Municipal Wastewater and Stormwater Management. Overflows of raw sewage and inadequately controlled stormwater discharges from municipal sewer systems can end up in waterways or cause back ups into city streets or basements of homes threatening water quality, human health and the environment. EPA is targeting large municipalities to reduce pollution and volume of stormwater runoff and to reduce unlawful discharges of raw sewage that degrade water quality in communities. Reducing raw sewage overflows and stormwater discharges is one of EPA's National Enforcement Initiatives.
    • Pretreatment. EPA enforces requirements to ensure that industries pre-treat pollutants in their wastes in order to protect local sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment plants. Industrial discharges of metals, oil and grease, and other pollutants can interfere with the operation of local sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment plants, leading to the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated pollutants into local waterways. Learn more about pretreatment.
  • Stormwater Pollution. This occurs when debris, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants from urban areas and construction sites get washed into storm drains and flows directly into water bodies. Uncontrolled stormwater discharges can pose significant threats to public health and the environment. The CWA requires that industrial facilities, construction sites, and municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) have measures in place to prevent pollution from being discharged with stormwater into nearby waterways. Reducing discharges of contaminated stormwater into our nation's rivers, streams and lakes waterways is one of EPA's National Enforcement Initiatives.
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Animal Waste and Illegally dischargeing pollutants to water. CAFOs that are not controlling their animal wastes and illegally discharging pollutants to water bodies are a serious threat to water quality and human health. Taking action to compel these operations to properly control their wastes and comply with the law is one of EPA's National Enforcement Initiatives. Learn more aboutanimal feeding operations.
Spills - Oil and Hazardous Substances. Oil spills can harm animal and plant life, contaminating food sources and nesting habitats. Petroleum oils can form tars that persist in the environment for years. The CWA prohibits oil or hazardous substance spills in quantities that may be harmful to human health and the environment and requires actions to prevent future spills.
Wetlands - Discharges of Dredge and Fill Material EPA ensures that dredged or fill material is not discharged into wetlands and other waters of the United States except as authorized by a permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. EPA investigates and inspects those discharging dredge and fill material into wetlands and other waters of the United States without a permit and pursues appropriate enforcement to ensure compliance. Learn more about wetlands.
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Clean Water Act Compliance Monitoring and Assistance

EPA works with its federal, state and tribal regulatory partners through a comprehensive Clean Water Act compliance monitoring program to protect human health and the environment by ensuring that the regulated community obeys environmental laws/regulations through on-site visits by qualified inspectors, and a review of the information EPA or a state/tribe requires to be submitted. The CWA compliance assistance program provides businesses, federal facilities, local governments and tribes with tools to help meet environmental regulatory requirements.
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Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Drinking Water. EPA safeguards human health by enforcing the requirements of the SDWA to ensure that the nation's public drinking water supply and its sources (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells) are protected. Learn more about drinking water.
  • Public Drinking Water Systems. EPA ensures that public drinking water systems comply with health-based federal standards for contaminants, which includes performing regular monitoring and reporting.
  • Underground Injection Control. Underground injection is the technology of placing fluids underground, in porous formations of rocks, through wells or other similar conveyance systems. EPA ensures that underground injection wells do not endanger any current and future underground or surface sources of drinking water. EPA investigates and inspects those injecting fluids underground in violation of the SDWA and pursues appropriate enforcement to ensure compliance. Learn more about energy extraction.
  • Aircraft Drinking Water Rule. EPA is responsible for ensuring the safety of drinking water on aircraft and is working with airlines to ensure drinking water quality to include making certain that the airlines are in compliance with the recently promulgated Aircraft Drinking Water Rule.
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Safe Drinking Water Act Compliance Monitoring and Assistance

EPA works with its federal, state and tribal regulatory partners through a comprehensive Safe Drinking Water Act compliance monitoring program to protect human health and the environment by ensuring that the regulated community obeys environmental laws/regulations through on-site visits by qualified inspectors, and a review of the information EPA or a state/tribe requires to be submitted. The SDWA compliance assistance program provides businesses, federal facilities, local governments and tribes with tools to help meet environmental regulatory requirements.
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10 comments:

  1. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 6:30 PM

    This article talks about the different water enforcement acts and how water is been treated in different ways. It also talks about several processes and methods of treating water for drinking.

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  2. Srilakshmi BommarajuOctober 20, 2013 at 7:29 PM

    The article provides information on different water enforcement acts and educates readers about the different ways water may get polluted. It also gives useful methods and standards of regulating pollution caused through different events.

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  3. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 9:37 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 10:18 PM

    This article acknowledges the policy, guidance and publications of water enforcement. This also helps us learn about the clean water act (CWA) and safe drinking water act (SDWA) . We even get to know various acts like EPA that are taken up to reduce the degree of pollutants such as oils, animal wastes, municipal and storm water in water content.

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  5. aditi singhOctober 21, 2013 at 12:19 AM

    water enforcement is what has been talked about in this article. since water needs to be treated in order for it to be fit for use. several processes gave been discussed here. it is an eye opener how people tend to pollute water thereby keeping in mind the enforcement acts and standards

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    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 5, 2013 at 12:57 PM

      I agree with what you have mentioned. Inspite of having various acts for water being clean and able to drink several waste is being dumped into it. One should keep in mind waste water management, storm water pollution and many such aspects for a greener tomorrow.

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  6. SukhmanOctober 21, 2013 at 11:46 AM

    Clean Water Act (CWA)which incorporates so many methodologies to keep water clean.It provides an insight to what all can be done to keep water clean.Its a great undertaking by EPA

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  7. UnknownOctober 24, 2013 at 12:11 AM

    Here EPA shows how water management body should control and maintain water and sewage in every aspect possible. how they put rules to the industries of dumping wastes into the water bodies, preventing oil spills and storm water in water bodies. it is not just about acting when things turn bad but to prevent by collaborating with its federal, state and tribal regulatory bodies.

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  8. UnknownNovember 3, 2013 at 7:30 PM

    This article provides an insight to the readers about different Water Enforcement Acts and also talks about various ways in which the water can get polluted. Several processes and methods of treating water have been discussed here. It talks about the Clean Water Act(CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The undertaking taken by EPA to control various pollutants in the water bodies is truly remarkable.

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  9. UnknownNovember 19, 2013 at 11:10 PM

    Article provides the details about different Acts and their usage. How the water is being polluted and how CWA and SDWA are supporting in maintaining the clean water for usage purpose. EPA shows on how to control and improve the water bodies for the best usage. The work done by these Active bodies is at large in many parts of the country, and a drastic change has taken place because of them.

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