Complex sentence: The Water Pollution Control Act, passed in 1948, gave authority to Surgeon General to make programs to reduce or eliminate water pollution in rivers, underground rivers, and other waterways, while taking into account the need to conserve and further environmental and human uses.
Split into simpler sentences: The Water Pollution Control Act gave authority to Surgeon General to make programs to reduce or eliminate water pollution in rivers, underground rivers, and other waterways. The programs took into account the need to conserve and further environmental and human uses.