The Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.

This course broadly covers the historical background, purpose, and scope of the Clean Water Act. It also provides information about the Pollution Control Programs under the CWA, such as National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, protecting watersheds and sources of drinking water, control of polluted runoff, and providing support for municipal wastewater treatment plants.

In addition, this course discusses the monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping under the Clean Water Act.

Topics Covered:

Lesson One: Clean Water Act: The Law

• History Amendments
• Water Quality Standards
• Water Quality Monitoring
• Roles and Responsibilities

Lesson Two: CWA: Compliance and Monitoring

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
• Pretreatment of Wastewater (Industrial Users)
• Biosolids (POTW sludge)
• Oil Spill Prevention
• Industrial Stormwater
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
• Municipal Stormwater
• Wetlands (Section 404)
• Wastewater Trading Program

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Explain the background and purpose of Clean Water Act Regulations
• Identify different measures to control water quality standards
• Identify different sources of water pollution
• Discuss the Clean Water Act compliance and monitoring procedures
• Explain the current and future strategies of EPA to prevent water pollution
• Discuss the scope and regulatory framework of the NPDES program

Quiz Info:

• Five questions at the end of each lesson
• No mastery required

Final Exam Info:

• 20 questions
• 50% passing score