Ecology also has authority to carry out provisions of the federal Clean Water Act.
Ecology's Water Quality Program has made dramatic progress toward ensuring wastewater and stormwater discharges are managed. At the end of fiscal year 1996, nine percent of the 4,022 wastewater discharge permits needed updating. Ecology nonpoint water pollution prevention work is largely voluntary focusing on agriculture, urban runoff, and general water quality complaints. Ecology does have enforcement capability under the state Water Pollution Control Act when needed for correcting particularly difficult nonpoint water pollution problems. Rules to protect water quality from forest practices are jointly adopted by Ecology and the Forest Practices Board.