This section provides policy and guidance documents related to enforcement of the clean waters and drinking water.

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Clean Water Act Policy and Guidance Documents

• General / National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
  • Enforcement
  • Compliance
  • Penalty Policies and Guidance
• Stormwater
  • Penalty Policies and Guidance
• Oil Pollution Act
  • Penalty Policies and Guidance
• Wetlands
  • Penalty Policies and Guidance
• Pretreatment
• Combined Sewer Overflows / Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs/SSOs)
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
• Citizen Suits

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Policy and Guidance Documents

• Penalty Policies and Guidance
• Emergency Authority
• Enforcement Response

Clean Water Act Policy and Guidance Documents

General/NPDES

• Enforcement​

  • Guidance and Procedures for Administrative Orders Issued Under Section 309 of the Clean Water Act
  • Interim Guidance to Strengthen Performance in the NPDES Program
  • Clarifications Regarding Toxicity Reduction and Identification Evaluations in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program
  • Enforcement Management System Guide

• Compliance

  • Promoting Water, Superfund and Enforcement Collaboration on Contaminated Sediments 
  • Significant Noncompliance for Chlorine
  • Memorandum: Revision of NPDES Significant Noncompliance (SNC) Criteria to Address Violations of Non-Monthly Average Limits

• Penalty Policies and Guidance

  • Revised Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy
  • Guidance on the Distinction among Pleading, Negotiating, and Litigating Civil Penalties for Enforcement Cases under the Clean Water Act 
  • Guidance on Effect of Clean Water Amendment Civil Penalty Assessment Language 
  • Guidance on State Action Preemption Civil Penalty Actions under the Federal Clean Water Act
  • Guidance on Claim Splitting in Enforcement Actions under the Clean Water Act 

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• Stormwater

  • Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework

  • Penalty Policies and Guidance

    • Supplemental Guidance to the 1995 Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy for Violations of the Industrial Stormwater Requirements
    • Supplemental Guidance to the Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy (March 1, 1995) for Violations of the Construction Storm Water Requirements
      • Supplemental to the 2018 Penalty Inflation Memo for Industrial Stormwater
    • Revised Expedited Settlement Offer Program for Storm Water (Construction)

  • Oil Pollution Act

    • Changes to Section 311 Expedited (SEEP) Programs
    • Final Guidance on the Issuance of Administrative Orders under Section 311(c) and (e) of the Clean Water Act 

    • Penalty Policies and Guidance

      • Civil Penalty Policy for Section 311(b)(3) and Section 311(j) of the Clean Water Act

  • Wetlands

    • Injunctive Relief Requirements in Section 404 Enforcement Actions 

    • Penalty Policies and Guidance​

      • Revised CWA Section 404 Settlement Penalty Policy

  • Pretreatment

    • Local Limits Developmental Guidance 
    • Local Limits Developmental Guidance Appendices
    • Enforcement Initiative for Failure to Adequately Implement Approved Local Pretreatment Programs
    • Guidance Manual on the Development and Implementation of Local Discharge Limitations under the Pretreatment Program
    • Guidance Manual for Implementation of Total Toxic Organics (TTO) Pretreatment Standards 
    • Guidance Manual for Iron and Steel Manufacturing Pretreatment Standards
    • Guidance for Pulp, Paper and Paperboard and Builders Paper and Board Mills Pretreatment Standards

  • Combined Sewer Overflows / Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs/SSOs)

    • Achieving Water Quality Through Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans
    • Protecting Water Quality with Green Infrastructure in EPAs Water Permitting and Enforcement Programs
    • EPA Enforcement Preventing Backup of Municipal Sewage into Basements
    • Guidelines for Federal Enforcement in CSO/SSO Cases
    • Pilot Enforcement Approach in MOM Cases in Region 4
    • EPA's Report to Congress on Implementation and Enforcement of the CSO Control Policy
    • Compliance and Enforcement Strategy Addressing Combined Sewer Overflows and Sanitary Sewer Overflows
    • Enforcement Management System (EMS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

  • Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

    • Producers' Compliance Guide for CAFOs

  • Citizen Suits (Section 505)

    • Procedures for Agency Response to Clean Water Act Citizen Suit Activity
    • Clean Water Act Section 505, Effect of Prior Citizen Suit Adjudications or Settlement on the United States ability to sue for same violations
    • Notes on Section 505 CWA Citizen Suits
       

    Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Policy and Guidance Documents

    Penalty Policies and Guidance

    • New Public Water System Supervision Program Settlement Penalty Policy
    • UIC Program Judicial and Administrative Order Settlement Penalty Policy
    • Internet Publications of Notice of Proposed Penalties under Section 309(g) and 311(b)(6) of the Clean Water Act and Section 1423(c) of the Safe Drinking Water Act

    Emergency Authority (Section 1431)

    • Updated Guidance on Emergency Authority under SDWA Section 1431 - Guidance on invoking EPA’s emergency authority, granted under Section 1431 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. § 300i. 

    Enforcement Response

    • Enforcement Response Policy under the Safe Drinking Water Act 
    • Enforcement Response Guide for Section 1433 of the Safe Drinking Water Act

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