Compliance Assistance

This Web site focuses on EPA's compliance assistance tools supporting the Clean Water Act. It enhances the access to water-related environmental compliance assistance by providing links to documents, tools, information and other related and linked Web sites for compliance with environmental requirements to protect water resources.

About the Clean Water Act

Overview
CWA - Includes a link to text.

Compliance and Enforcement National Priorities
CWA - Provides a strategy for addressing four environmental challenges exacerbated by wet weather. These challenges are: Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and Storm Water.

Monitoring
Information on CWA Compliance Monitoring program, including inspections.

Enforcement
Information on the civil enforcement program for water.

Tools and Information on How to Comply

National Pollution Discharge Elimination System - Overview of the NPDES permitting program including technical and regulatory information.

Discharge Monitoring Report-Quality Assurance Study Program - An annual quality assurance (QA) study conducted to evaluate the analytical and reporting ability of permittees and laboratories routinely performing inorganic chemistry and whole-effluent toxicity self-monitoring analyses required in NPDES permits.

Clean Water Act Financing - Information on CWA funding for construction water pollution control and Indian program grants.

Water Quality Criteria - Information on water quality criteria and standards to protect human health and the environment.

Water Quality Models - Models for simulating the movement of precipitation and pollutants from the ground surface through pipe and channel networks, storage treatment units and finally to receiving waters.

Watersheds - Explanation of using watershed approaches to protect water resources.

Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality - Information on wadeable streams and elements of a state water monitoring and assessment program.

Animal Feeding Operation - Resources for operators and information about animal feeding operations.

Surface and Ground Water Resources for Agriculture - Resources for the agriculture sector about surface and ground water.

Pretreatment of Wastewater (Industrial Users) - EPA and states conduct periodic inspections and audits of the Publically Owned Treatment Works (POTW) pretreatment implementation programs to ensure that the programs are being properly implemented.

Biosolids (POTW sludge) - When treated and processed, sewage sludge becomes biosolids which can be recycled and applied as fertilizer to soils. EPA conducts inspections of POTW and other industrial facilities that generate, store, transport and dispose of biosolids.

Oil Spill Prevention - EPA conducts inspections of facilities that store oil to ensure that the facility satisfies requirements designed to prevent oil spills.

Industrial Storm Water - EPA conducts inspections of three types of facility operations subject to the storm water regulations: construction sites, industrial sites, and municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4). For MS4 operations, EPA also conducts audits designed as a comprehensive review of all facets of the Control Authority's storm water program.

Municipal Storm water: Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) - CSOs and SSOs present important concerns for public health and the environment. To address these concerns, EPA and state agencies work to identify and address public health and environmental threats posed by overflows from municipal sewer collection systems.

Wetlands (Section 404) - EPA conducts inspections of sites to determine whether dredged or fill material is being illegally dumped into wetlands in violation of the regulations and statute; to verify whether and if facilities/sites have a wetlands permit and are complying with it; and whether steps are being taken to minimize or avoid wetland impacts where practicable.

Wastewater Trading Program - This program allows facilities facing high pollution control costs to meet their regulatory obligations by purchasing environmentally equivalent (or superior) pollution reductions from another source at lower cost.

Protocol for Conducting Environmental Compliance Audits For Municipal facilities under US EPA's Wastewater Regulations (PDF) (12/1/00) (126 pp, 775K, About PDF) assists the regulated community in developing programs to evaluate their compliance with wastewater regulations.

Sector Notebooks - A series of profiles containing information on selected major industries, which focus on key indicators that present air, water and land pollutant release data.

National Environmental Compliance Assistance Clearinghouse links to public and private compliance assistance materials. Users may post documents and interact with assistance providers, both within and outside of EPA. The Clearinghouse allows users to search for relevant material on new and existing regulations, pollution prevention opportunities, and voluntary programs that were created by other parts of EPA, other federal agencies, tribes, states and local agencies, industry and other organizations.

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Information for Concerned Citizens

STORET - Searchable database that contains raw biological, chemical and physical data on surface and ground water collected by federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes, volunteer groups, academics and others

Nonpoint Source Contacts - EPA and state coordinators for nonpoint source issues.

NPDES Contacts - EPA and state coordinators for NPDES issues.

Stormwater Contacts - EPA and state coordinators for NPDES issues.

National Response Center - Report oil or chemical spills.

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