[StBernard] Water News Release (Region 6): 35th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Fri Oct 19 22:00:49 EDT 2007


35th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

(Washington, D.C. - October 18, 2007) October 18 is a special day for
America's waters, wetlands, and watersheds: the Clean Water Act turns 35.
As we celebrate one of the more successful and enduring environmental laws,
let us also reflect on what we have accomplished and where we need to go.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) has dramatically improved water quality through
the use of scientific standards, discharge permits, pre-treatment
requirements, state and local funding, and watershed planning. For example,
under the CWA's permit program, of the estimated 223 million people served
today by wastewater treatment facilities, more than 98.5 percent are served
by systems that remove up to 31 million pounds of pollutants from the
waterways each year. Such advances in wastewater treatment constitute a
major achievement in modern American public health.

One of EPA's top priorities is to develop and implement innovative,
sustainable, and market-based solutions to managing and financing water and
wastewater infrastructure. For the last four years, we have emphasized a
comprehensive strategy known as our Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative,
which features our "Four Pillars of Sustainability." They are:

* Working with our utility partners to develop better management practices
and tools;
* Ensuring that customer rates for water use fully and continually reflect
the value of services that homes and businesses receive from our water
systems;
* Making sure that every dollar of investment in "hard infrastructure" such
as pipes is absolutely necessary by first establishing improved water
efficiency practices; and
* Adopting "green infrastructure" to mimic natural processes such as
evaporation and water reuse to reduce sewer overflows and stormwater
problems and other solutions integrated into watersheds to minimize the
flows that have to be transmitted and treated.

We are spreading the ethic of water efficiency for citizens through our new
WaterSense program, which encourages the use of labeled products and
services that reduce water bills and maintain high environmental standards,
all without compromising performance.

We are committed to working with our partners to help change the way America
views and values water and the infrastructure support systems. The heart
and soul of the Clean Water Act, current and future, must be a holistic
approach that looks at the entire watershed and all sources of pollution and
that brings new partners and new tools to the problem-solving table.

For example, EPA just released new guidance on watershed permitting and
water quality trading that will help permit writers, utilities, watershed
organizations, and citizens accelerate restoration and protection. The Bush
Administration is also proposing a new tool, Water Enterprise Bonds, to
promote investment in America's water infrastructure through innovative
public-private partnerships by communities seeking expertise from the
private sector.

One of today's priorities is climate change. EPA's National Water Program
established a Workgroup in March 2007 to assess impacts, evaluate how best
to meet our clean water and safe drinking water goals to adapt to climate
changes and revise various programs and activities.

We are facing new challenges and seeking to better apply the tools and
techniques under the Clean Water Act to adjust our approaches and find new
solutions. Collectively, all of these initiatives, innovative tools, and
resources will help EPA and its partners continue to build on the gains in
water quality that we have worked so hard for and enjoyed over the last 35
years.

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