Civil Enforcement

In 1972, Congress enacted the first comprehensive national clean water legislation in response to growing public concern for serious and widespread water pollution. The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law that protects our nation's waters, including lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.

The Clean Water Act focuses on improving the quality of the nation's waters. It provides a comprehensive framework of standards, technical tools and financial assistance to address the many causes of pollution and poor water quality, including municipal and industrial wastewater discharges, polluted runoff from urban and rural areas, and habitat destruction. The Clean Water Act:

• requires municipalities and major industries to meet performance standards to ensure pollution control;
  
  
• charges states and tribes with setting specific water quality criteria appropriate for their waters and developing pollution control programs to meet them;
  
  
• provides funding to states and communities to help them meet their clean water infrastructure needs; and
  
  
• protects valuable wetlands and other aquatic habitats through a permitting process that ensures development and other activities are conducted in an environmentally sound manner.

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