What are Impaired Waters?
The Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program is an important component of the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) framework to restore and protect our Nation’s waters. The program is comprised primarily of a two part process.
First, states identify waters that are impaired or in danger of becoming impaired (threatened) and second, for these waters, states calculate and allocate pollutant reduction levels necessary to meet approved water quality standards.
What is Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act?
The goal of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters" (33 U.S.C §1251(a)). Under section 303(d) of the CWA, states, territories and authorized tribes, collectively referred to in the act as "states," are required to develop lists of impaired waters. These are waters for which technology-based regulations and other required controls are not stringent enough to meet the water quality standards set by states. The law requires that states establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for these waters. A TMDL includes a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that can be present in a water body and still meet water quality standards.