Progress in Water Quality: An Evaluation of the National Investments in Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Comprehensive EPA report describes the progress made in cleaning up America’s water.

January 3, 2002

Treated wastewater flows through Salt Lake City wetlands.

“The existence of serious water pollution problems in the United States, first recognized during the 1920s and 1930s and increasingly well documented during the 1940s through 1960s, led to the recognition that the practice of discharging raw sewage and the use of only primary treatment in publicily-owned treatment works (POTWs) were generally inadequate technologies for wastewater disposal.”

This is the opening paragraph in the Executive Summary of the report sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water, documenting the progress made in cleaning up the nation’s water since passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act.  The report emphasizes the role of the federally funded Construction Grants Program, which provided $61.1 billion in grants to local authorities from 1972 through 1995 to help finance improvements to the nation’s wastewater treatment facilities. The complete report, including the Executive Summary, can be found at:

http://www.epa.gov/OW-OWN.html/wquality/index.htm

Prior to Clean Water Act and federal funding, many of the nation’s waters were too polluted for fishing and swimming, or in severe cases, to sustain wildlife. Approximately 7 million tons of untreated wastewater was being dumped into America’s water every day. The 1972 Clean Water Act established goals to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s waters and make its waters fishable and swimmable. The Cuyahoga River near Cleveland, Ohio was symbolic of the nation’s environmental plight. In 1969, the river caught on fire, galvanizing the city of Cleveland and the nation into taking action to control water pollution. Today, after spending $300 million to clean up the pollution, Cleveland is a role model for other cities that want to clean up their water. The recreational and economic benefits have led to a renaissance for Cleveland.

In 1997, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Act, it was reported that more than 60 percent of the nation’s waters supported fishing, swimming and other uses, with the goal of continued improvement into the future. Despite population growth, pollution levels in the nation’s water were reduced 36 percent between 1972 - 1996.

Even though Salt Lake City did not receive federal aid in the original construction and subsequent upgrades of its Water Reclamation Plant, federal  funding has made possible substantial improvements to water quality within Salt Lake County.  Both the Central Valley and South Valley Reclamation Districts received federal funds to build new centralized treatment facilities eliminating a number of small and less efficient treatment plants serving other communities outside of Salt Lake City. Both of these treatment facilities discharge directly into the Jordan River, resulting in improved water quality of this countywide river.  Salt Lake City rate payers have supported and financed improvements to the city’s Water Reclamation Plant, which have resulted in outstanding treatment performace and compliance in meeting federal and state NPDES permit limitations.

The EPA Report provides a comprehensive documentation of the results and benefits of the Clean Water Act and federal funding of wastewater treatment facilities in cleaning up America’s water.

If you want more information on what Salt Lake City is doing to meet its environmental obligations under the Clean Water Act, please contact the following e-mail address: jon.adams@ci.slc.ut.us

Selected References:

Profiles in Water Quality: Clear Success, Continued Challenges, Water Environment Federation, 1998