Definitions

The Clean Water Act includes many concepts, many of which are hyperspecific to water quality and unknown to those not involved in the clean water movement. Here are some important definitions to know when trying to understand the Clean Water Act:

Eutrophication

Eutrophication describes the process whereby nutrients accumulate in a body of water leading to an excess of algal growth which can lead to dissolved oxygen depletion leading to waterways that are incapable of supporting aquatic life (Chislock et al, 2013).

Point-Source

Pollution with an identifiable source.

Jurisdictional

In the context of the Clean Water Act, jurisdictional refers to scope of waters that the federal government has regulatory authority over (Brownstein, 2009).

Sedimentation

Sedimentation is a process whereby water picks up particles of soil and then deposits them in waterways (Marsh 2020). This leads to waters becoming murky and blocks sunlight from reaching the beds of the waterways affecting aquatic plants from being able to photosynthesize and oxygenate the water (Kitch & Lewitus, 2018).

Non-Point Source Pollution

Pollution with no one identifiable source.

Wastewater

Water that has been affected by domestic, industrial, or commercial use (Tuser, 2021).