The Environmental Protection Agency announced it has committed to implementing a new planning process that will help improve water quality, including managing wastewater and stormwater, in numerous cities across the country. The new approach will specifically help cities struggling with poor financial conditions.
The EPA will offer guidance to these cities to help them prioritize infrastructure improvements, such as improving efficiencies, directing investments, and conducting maintenance, that will ultimately ensure that each city is complying with the Clean Water Act requirements. Here are some facts about the Clean Water Act and the recent efforts made by the EPA to make sure cities are following it:
* According to PBS, the act was established after a series of water quality problems in the U.S. during the later 1960s and early 1970s, including heavy pollution that was damaging the fishing industry in Chesapeake Bay, high levels of bacteria in the Hudson River, and the Cuyahoga River bursting into flames from an oil slick.
* Drinking water was also a major concern and in 1970, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's Bureau of Water Hygiene reported that 30 percent of collected drinking water samples contained chemicals that were higher than that recommended by the Public Health Service.
* Before the Clean Water Act was passed, nearly two-thirds of the waterways in the country were unsafe for recreational activities and fishing.
* The Clean Water Act as it's known today was established in 1972 and additional amendments were added in 1977.
* The act was a direct response to these water quality problems caused by dumping pollution into waterways.
* Additionally, it established wastewater standards for industry and water quality standards for all contaminants in the nation's surface waters.
* The Huffington Post reported in July the EPA issued an order under the Clean Water Act to the City of Chicago that requires the city to dramatically improve the water quality of the Chicago River.
* Kansas City, Mo., is also agreed to make $2.5 billion in sewer improvements over the next 25 years following a settlement with the EPA over Clean Water Act violations, according to the Dept. of Justice.
* In April, Dubuque, Iowa, received a $205,000 penalty and reached a settlement to make $3 million in improvements to its water pollution control plant and sewer collection system.
* Hawaii News Now also noted that Honolulu reached a settlement with the EPA last year after several lawsuits were brought against it by environmental organizations that claimed the city needs to make major changes to treatment plants and wastewater collection systems.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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