1. The Clean Water Act (1977, 1981, 1987) By: Jonas Szajowitz

2. Clean Water Act (Function) The Clean Water Act (CWA) was drafted in 1972. It was officially amended in 1977, and included two more amendments to the act in 1981 and 1987. The CWA is a national environmental legislation that set its main goal “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters.” This includes preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands. Other functions include the requirement of permits for pollutant discharge, funding the construction of sewage treatment plants, and regulating surface water quality standards.

3. Clean Water Act (environmental issues affected and agencies) The CWA protects valuable wetlands and other aquatic habitat from possible destruction through a permitting process that ensures development that is conducted in an environmentally sound manner. Issues of environmental pollution are protected through the regulation of industrial wastewater standards and point source discharges into navigable waters. 1981 amendment: Improved the municipal construction grant process to aid the capabilities of treatment plants built. 1987 amendment: controls and manages toxicant polluted waters and storm water pollution. Most regulation is controlled by the EPA, and the EPA authorized the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program to state governments, in order to implement the regulations and standards set by the CWA. The EPA also regulates and inspects these industries by sampling wastewater discharges and treatment, and inspecting generation and treatment processes.