David Dzombak and Tom Batroney: The Clean Water Act at 50

On Oct. 18, 1972, Congress enacted in a bipartisan manner the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972, also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). Prior to the CWA, clean-water laws at the federal and state levels were inconsistent, and progress was slow in cleaning up our nation’s water, as there were no common goals, objectives, guidelines and funding.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the CWA, it is useful to reflect on the achievements of this landmark legislation and its positive impacts for the U.S. and Western Pennsylvania.

The CWA’s objective is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” The CWA was launched with ambitious objectives, including achieving “fishable and swimmable” waters by 1983, and the elimination of pollution discharges into navigable waters by 1985. While these timelines were not met, the CWA created a legacy of enduring measures which have resulted in substantial progress in improving water quality.

Three measures of the CWA have been especially important: the construction grants program for municipal wastewater treatment facilities; the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program; and the water quality assessment and standards-setting program.

The construction grants program provided communities with up to 75% federal support for wastewater treatment facilities. The grants greatly expanded municipal wastewater treatment throughout the U.S., including here in the Pittsburgh region. Eventually the federal grant program was replaced by the State Revolving Fund program, which is still in place today. Additionally, the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50 billion to strengthen the nation’s water infrastructure, including the wastewater and stormwater systems regulated under the CWA.

The establishment of the NPDES permitting system has enabled the nation to control end-of-pipe “point source” discharges from industries. The NPDES system has been critical for ensuring treatment technologies are up to date and reducing pollution loadings into our rivers, streams, lakes and coastal waters.

The CWA requires states to establish water quality standards for each water body based on “designated uses” (potable water supply, fishing, boating recreation, etc). States are then required to assess water quality periodically, and when standards are not met, develop a pollution reduction plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the establishment of state water quality standards to ensure a common playing field, particularly for shared waters that cross state lines. The results of the assessments are made publicly available, and serve as the basis for continuing public engagement and transparency.

In Pennsylvania, every two years the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection releases its Integrated Water Quality Report updating the status of the waters of the commonwealth. The report is then used to develop local water pollution reduction strategies.

After 50 years of the Clean Water Act, much has been accomplished, yet water quality challenges remain. During rain events raw sewage discharges from combined sewers in Pittsburgh; however, the CWA has brought progress on this challenge with the development of stormwater authorities in a growing number of municipalities, buildout of green stormwater infrastructure projects and ALCOSAN’s $2 billion Clean Water Plan which will reduce sewer overflows from 83 municipalities in Allegheny County.

And while we have many streams that are still impaired from acid mine drainage, the CWA has brought mine water treatment facilities into place for active mines. Other state and federal programs for abandoned mine land reclamation have funded treatment facilities such as the recently constructed Gladden Acid Mine Treatment Plant in South Fayette and Wingfield Pines Treatment Wetland in Upper St. Clair.

However, the continued progress in the improvement of our water quality is made possible by the CWA and the diligent work of the EPA and state environmental agencies. It has yielded many benefits for our Three Rivers, such as a return of people to the rivers for boating, fishing and swimming; the development of trail systems along our rivers; and improvements to our drinking water supply sources. We believe that’s a 50th birthday worth celebrating!

David Dzombak is Hamerschlag University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Tom Batroney is a senior engineer with HDR Inc. Both are members of the Pittsburgh section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Batroney as president. In collaboration with other regional organizations, the society is holding a Clean Water Act Festival Oct. 15 at the Millvale Riverfront Park in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the law’s enactment. Admission is free. For more information visit asce-pgh.org/CWA50th.