Clean Water Act discharge permits . 33 U.S. Code sec. 40 CFR sec. That term has been given the broadest possible interpretation to include most intrastate waters. The primary purpose of each permit is to establish enforceable effluent limitations, which are technology-based and are rather complicated.
Compliance depends largely upon self-monitoring.
Water quality standards and policy . Water quality standards are established by the states and consist of use classifications and criteria that, if not exceeded, will protect those uses. For example, water uses are pubic drinking water, propagation of fish and wildlife, recreation, industrial, and swimmable waters . In October 2000 the federal EPA proposed modifying the 1980 Ambient Water Quality Criteria National Guidelines. Those guidelines aim to get states to adopt numeric values limiting chemicals harmful to us humans.