Summary

Wastewater treatment plants are considered to be the frontline of the Nation's battle to eliminate water pollution and restore water quality to the thousands of miles of contaminated rivers, lakes, streams, and ocean shorelines throughout the country.

GAO found that over $25 billion in Federal funds and several billion in State and local moneys have been spent to construct new wastewater treatment plants or to significantly modify existing plants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that through the year 2000 an additional $35.6 billion in Federal funds alone will be needed to construct additional treatment plants. GAO found that many of the plants, in operation for several years, have seldom or never met the performance standards they were designed to achieve. Failure of treatment plants to meet performance expectations may not only have an adverse impact on the Nation's ability to meet its clean water goals, but may also represent the potential waste of tens of millions of dollars in Federal, State, and local moneys.