Conclusion & Recommendations

Conclusion

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is a landmark piece of legislation that has done a lot to improve the quality of water in the United States by providing a regulatory framework for pollution control. The Act has been successful in restoring fish populations in previously uninhabitable waters (Amitay, 2023), increasing recreational and economic opportunities (Polak, 2023), and creating measurable improvements in water quality nationwide (Hearne, 2020). The CWA has been particularly successful in creating measures that control point-source pollution and a permitting system that manages pollution discharge across the country.

What has become quite evident throughout this analysis is that the Clean Water Act is a massive undertaking and requires a lot of coordination among various entities. In addition to the various entities, there are also various sources of pollution that need to be managed. With the federal nature of this policy and the varying views among states about the jurisdictional rights of the federal government, the policy is bound to hit roadblocks. There are so many moving and interconnected pieces involved in regulating anything having to do with water as it is so abundant, travels across boundaries, and is ever-changing. As the policy currently stands, it does not have the mechanisms in place to create continued improvement in the waters of the U.S.

Blake, M. (2021). Drinking Water Pipes [Photograph]. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-infrastructure-bill-delivers-on-clean-water-and-how-it-falls-short

Recommendations for Future Progress

To ensure continued improvements in U.S. waters, the following steps are essential:

Binamira, A. (2016). Group of People Playing on the Beach [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-playing-on-the-beach-707185/

Increase Funding

Allocate more resources to update and maintain infrastructure.
Enhance the capacity of regulatory agencies.

Create Innovative Regulations

Develop new regulations to manage non-point source pollution.
Address emerging pollution with updated standards and technologies.

Enhance Enforcement

Strengthen enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Increase Equitable Distribution of Water Quality Improvement

Implement strategies to ensure all communities benefit equally from clean water initiatives.