Basic Course: Key Concepts

Introduction: Weighing Uses Against Degradation of Quality

Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), once the existing uses of a water body have been established—by evaluating the water's quality relative to uses already attained—a State/Tribe must maintain the level of water quality that has been identified as being necessary to support those existing uses.

But what if the water quality is better than what is necessary to support the existing uses? That is, what if progress has been made toward attaining the CWA 101(a) goal uses?

Question. Can the State/Tribe then allow a degradation of water that is better than that necessary to protect CWA 101(a) uses? What if the degradation would provide economic or social development opportunities or other benefits to the State or Tribe?

The answer is yes. However, in order to effectively address the considerations involved in making such decisions, EPA's regulations require the State/Tribe to have established an antidegradation policy as part of its water quality standards.

Video Clip. View a 2-minute video clip from classroom session about what needs to be included in a State/Tribe's antidegration policy.

Disclaimer:
For informational purposes only–Not official statements of EPA policy.