What is the federal law regulating water pollution in the United States?

• A. Clean Water Act
• B. Safe Drinking Water Act
• C. Endangered Species Act
• D. National Environmental Policy Act

Answer: (A)

Water pollution regulation at the federal level is primarily driven by the Clean Water Act. This law sets nationwide standards for pollutants entering U.S. waters and creates a permitting system that requires permits to discharge pollutants from factories, farms, and other point sources into rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. It also authorizes setting water quality criteria to protect uses like drinking water, recreation, and aquatic life, and gives federal and state agencies the authority to take enforcement actions when discharges exceed allowed limits.

The other laws work in related but different ways. The Safe Drinking Water Act focuses on the quality of drinking water provided to people by public water systems, not on discharges into surface waters. The Endangered Species Act protects species and their habitats, not the broad regulation of water pollution. The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to consider environmental impacts in their actions, often through environmental assessments, but it doesn’t itself regulate discharges or set water-quality standards.