Keeping pollution out of your water: the EPA
Understanding how the EPA helps safeguard our clean water and rivers
No matter who you are or where you live, we all need clean, safe, reliable drinking water. It’s a basic need and a human right. And most of our water comes from rivers.
A Republican president, Richard Nixon, created the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 through executive order.
In his State of the Union address that year he said, “Clean air, clean water, open spaces – these should once again be the birthright of every American.”
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect the environment and human health. The EPA protects clean water primarily through the Clean Water Act, setting legal limits on pollutants discharged into waterways, regulating point sources like factories through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and working with states to monitor and enforce compliance with water quality standards. The EPA uses the Safe Drinking Water Act to set limits on contaminants in drinking water, ensuring its safety for public consumption.
Successes for your clean drinking water:
Before the Environmental Protection Agency was established, and before we had federal clean water safeguards, many rivers across the country were choked with pollution and devoid of life.
Today, while we still have a lot of work to do, we celebrate cleanup progress on many rivers nationwide. Here are three examples of rivers – that are sources of drinking water – that have been cleaned up with the help of the EPA:
- The Delaware River (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York): More than 17 million people get their drinking water from the Delaware River, including New York City, Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington, and northern New Jersey. The EPA has worked to reduce pollution and improve water quality in the Delaware River. Learn more
- The Cuyahoga River (Ohio): The Cuyahoga is a drinking water source for tens of thousands in the Akron area. Historically known for its pollution and fires, the Cuyahoga River has undergone significant cleanup efforts through the EPA’s initiatives, improving its water quality and making it a vibrant natural asset. Learn more
- The Hudson River (New York): The Hudson is a drinking water source for millions of New York residents in the Hudson Valley and New York City. The river has seen substantial efforts to reduce industrial contamination, especially from PCBs. The EPA’s cleanup programs have helped restore the water quality, benefiting both ecosystems and water supplies for surrounding areas.
How the EPA protects your clean water and rivers:
Pollution from factories…contaminated runoff from streets and farm fields…sewage pollution…toxic “forever chemicals”…there are many types of pollution that can harm our drinking water, rivers, and public health. Here are some ways the EPA works to protect clean water:
- Setting standards: EPA establishes legal limits on the levels of various contaminants allowed in surface waters and drinking water, based on health concerns and available technology to remove them.
- Permitting system: The NPDES program requires facilities that discharge pollutants into waterways to obtain permits, which specify the allowed levels of pollutants and monitoring requirements.
- Monitoring and enforcement: EPA conducts inspections and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards, and can take enforcement actions against polluters.
- Collaboration with states: EPA works with state agencies to implement water quality protections, allowing states to tailor safeguards to local conditions.
- Public information: EPA provides information to the public about water quality in their area, including pollution levels in specific rivers.
How you can speak up for clean water
Clean water is a basic need and a human right, vital to our health and well-being. Please join us in standing up for river protection.
