An Act to extend and strengthen the Water Pollution Control Act.
PL 84-660 (S.890), enacted 07/09/1956

498 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
[70 S T A T . 
Public Law 660 
CHAPTER 518 
July 9, 1956 
^ ^ 
^^^ 
[S' 890] 
To extend and strengthen the Water Pollution Control Act. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
comroi Act'A^en* United Sttttes of America in Congress assembled, That the Water Pol-
ments°of 1956.*" lution Coiitrol Act (33 U. S. C. 466-4661) is hereby amended to read as 
62 Stat. 1155. 
fQUOWS I 
"DECLARATION OF POLICY 
"SECTION 1. (a) In connection with the exercise of jurisdiction over 
the waterways of the Nation and in consequence of the benefits result-
ing to the public health and welfare by the prevention and control of 
water pollution, it is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress to 
recognize, preserve, and protect the primary responsibilities and rights 
of the States in preventing and controlling water pollution, to support 
and aid technical research relating to the prevention and control of 
water pollution, and to provide Federal technical services and financial 
aid to State and interstate agencies and to municipalities in connection 
of^cT^"^^*'^*^*"* with the prevention and control of water pollution. To this end, the 
Surgeon General of the Public Health Service shall administer this 
Act through the Public Health Service and under the supervision and 
direction of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. 
"(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as impairing or in any 
manner affecting any right or jurisdiction of the States with respect to 
the waters (including boundary waters) of such States. 
"COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS FOR WATER POLLUTION CONTROL 
"SEC. 2. The Surgeon General shall, after careful investigation, and 
in cooperation wnth other Federal agencies, with State w^ater pollution 
control agencies and interstate agencies, and with the municipalities 
and industries involved, prepare or develop comprehensive programs 
for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and 
tributaries thereof and improving the sanitary condition of surface 
and underground waters. In the development of such comprehensive 
programs due regard shall be given to the improvements which are 
necessary to conserve such waters for public water supplies, propaga-
tion of fish and aquatic life and wildlife, recreational purposes, and 
tions?* ^""*'®"*^^*' agricultural, industrial, and other legitimate uses. For the purpose 
of this section, the Surgeon General is authorized to make joint in-
vestigations with any such agencies of the condition of any waters in 
any State or States, and of the discharges of any sewage, industrial 
wastes, or substance which may adversely affect such waters. 
a INTERSTATE COOPERATION AND UNIFORM LAWS 
"SEC. 3. (a) The Surgeon General shall encourage cooperative ac-
tivities by the States for the prevention and control of water pollu-
tion ; encourage the enactment of improved and, so far as practicable, 
uniform State laws relating to the prevention and control of water 
pollution; and encourage compacts between States for the prevention 
and control of water pollution. 
"(b) The consent of the Congress is hereby given to two or more 
States to negotiate and enter into agreements or compacts, not in con-
flict with any law or treaty of the United States, for (1) cooperative 
effort and mutual assistance for the prevention and control of water 
pollution and the enforcement of their respective laws relating thereto, 
and (2) the establishment of such agencies, joint or otherwise, as they 
31 use 529; 41 
use 5. 
70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
499 
may deem desirable for making effective such agreements and com-
pacts. No such agreement or compact shall be binding or obligatory 
upon any State a party thereto unless and until it has been approved 
by the Congress. 
"RESEARCH, INVESTIGATIONS, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION 
"SEC. 4. (a) The Surgeon General shall conduct in the Public 
Health Service and encourage, cooperate with, and render assistance 
to other appropriate public (whether Federal, State, interstate, or 
local) authorities, agencies, and institutions, private agencies and in-
stitutions, and individuals in the conduct of, and promote the co-
ordination of, research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, 
and studies relating to the causes, control, and prevention of water 
pollution. In carrying out the foregoing, the Surgeon General is 
authorized to^— 
" (1) collect and make available, through publications and other 
appropriate means, the results of and other information as to 
research, investigations, and demonstrations relating to the pre-
vention and control of water pollution, including appropriate 
recommendations in connection therewith; 
"(2) make grants-in-aid to public or private agencies and in-
stitutions and to individuals for research or training projects and 
for demonstrations, and provide for the conduct of research, 
training, and demonstrations by contract with public or private 
agencies and institutions and with individuals without regard to 
sections 3648 and 3709 of the Revised Statutes; 
" (3) secure, from time to time and for such periods as he deems 
advisable, the assistance and advice of experts, scholars, and 
consultants as authorized by section 15 of the Administrative 
Expenses Act of 1946 (5 U. S. C. 55a); 
6o stat. sio. 
"(4) establish and maintain research fellowships in the Public 
Health Service with such stipends and allowances, including 
traveling and subsistence expenses, as he may deem necessary to 
procure the assistance of the most promising research fellowships: 
Promded^ That the total sum authorized to be appropriated for 
any fiscal year for fellowships pursuant to this subparagraph shall 
not exceed $100,000; and 
"(5) provide training in technical matters relating to the 
causes, prevention, and control of water pollution to personnel of 
public agencies and other persons with suitable qualifications. 
"(b) The Surgeon General may, upon request of any State water 
pollution control agency, or interstate agency, conduct investigations 
and research and make surveys concerning any specific problem of 
water pollution confronting any State, interstate agency, community, 
municipality, or industrial plant, with a view of recommending a 
solution of such problem. 
"(c) The Surgeon General shall, in cooperation with other Federal, 
State, and local agencies having related responsibilities, collect and 
disseminate basic data on chemical, physical, and biological water 
quality and other information insofar as such data or other informa-
tion relate to water pollution and the prevention and control thereof. 
"GRANTS FOR WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PROGRAMS 
"SEC. 5. (a) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the 
fiscal year ending June 30, 1957, and for each succeeding fiscal year 
to and including the fiscal year ending June 30, 1961, $3,000,000 for 
grants to States and to interstate agencies to assist them in meeting the 
500 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
[70 S T A T , 
costs of establishing and maintaining adequate measures for the pre-
vention and control of water pollution. 
"(b) The portion of the sums appropriated pursuant to subsection 
(a) for a fiscal year which shall be available for grants to interstate 
agencies and the portion thereof which shall be available for grants to 
States shall be specified in the Act appropriating such sums. 
"(c) From the sums available therefor for any fiscal year the Sur-
geon General shall from time to time make allotments to the several 
States, in accordance with regulations, on the basis of (1) the popu-
lation, (2) the extent of the water pollution problem, and (3) the finan-
cial need of the respective States. 
"(d) From each State's allotment under subsection (c) for any 
fiscal year the Surgeon General shall pay to such State an amount 
equal to its Federal share (as determined under subsection (h)) of 
the cost of carrying out its State plan approved under subsection 
(f), including the cost of training personnel for State and local water 
pollution control work and including the cost of administering the 
State plan. 
"(e) From the sums available therefor for any fiscal year the Sur-
geon General shall from time to time make allotments to interstate 
agencies, in accordance with regulations, on such basis as the Surgeon 
General finds reasonable and equitable. 
He shall from time to time 
pay to each such agency, from its allotment, an amount equal to such 
portion of the cost of carrying out its plan approved under subsection 
(f) as may be determined in accordance with regulations, including 
the cost of training personnel for water pollution control work and 
including the cost of administering the interstate agency's plan. 
The 
regulations relating to the portion of the cost of carrying out the 
interstate agency's plan which shall be borne by the United States 
shall be designed to place such agencies, so far as practicable, on a 
basis similar to that of the States. 
or^«r««te'i8ms! 
"(^) '^^^ Surgcou General shall approve any plan for the preven-
tion and control of water pollution which is submitted by the State 
water pollution control agency or, in the case of an interstate agency, 
by such agency, if such plan— 
"(1) provides for administration or for the supervision of 
administration of the plan by the State water pollution control 
agency or, in the case of a plan submitted by an interstate agency, 
by such interstate agency; 
"(2) provides that such agency will make such reports, in such 
form and containing such information, as the Surgeon General 
may from time to time reasonably require to carry out his func-
tions under this Act; 
"(3) sets forth the plans, policies, and methods to be followed 
in carrying out the State (or interstate) plan and in its admin-
istration ; 
"(4) provides for extension or improvement of the State or 
interstate program for prevention and control of water pollution; 
and 
"(5) provides such accounting, budgeting, and other fiscal 
methods and procedures as are necessary for the proper and effi-
cient administration of the plan. 
The Surgeon General shall not disapj)rove any plan without first 
giving reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing to the State 
water pollution control agency or interstate agency which has sub-
mitted such plan. 
"(g) (1) Whenever the Surgeon General, after reasonable notice 
and opportunity for hearing to a State water pollution control agency 
or interstate agency finds that— 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
501 
"(A) the plan submitted by such agency and approved under 
this section has been so changed that it no longer complies with a 
requirement of subsection (f) of this section; or 
"(B) in the administration of the plan there is a failure to 
comply substantially with such a requirement, 
the Surgeon General shall notify such agency that no further payments 
will be made to the State or to the interstate agency, as the case may be, 
under this section (or in his discretion that further payments will not 
be made to the State, or to the interstate agency, for projects under or 
parts of the plan affected by such failure) until he is satisfied that there 
will no longer be any such failure. 
Until he is so satisfied, the Surgeon 
General shall make no further payments to such State, or to such inter-
state agency, as the case may be, under this section (or shall limit 
payments to projects under or parts of the plan in which there is no 
such failure). 
"(2) If any State or any interstate agency is dissatisfied with the 
Appeals' 
Surgeon General's action with respect to it under this subsection, it 
may appeal to the United States court of appeals for the circuit in 
which such State (or any of the member States, in the case of an 
interstate agency) is located. 
The summons and notice of appeal may 
be served at any place in the United States. The findings of fact by 
the Surgeon General, unless contrary to the weight of the evidence, 
shall be conclusive; but the court, for good cause shown, may remand 
the case to the Surgeon General to take further evidence, and the 
Surgeon General may thereupon make new or modified findings of 
fact and may modify his previous action. 
Such new or modified find-
ings of fact shall likewise be conclusive unless contrary to the weight 
of the evidence. 
The court shall have jurisdiction to aifirm the action 
of the Surgeon General or to set it aside, in whole or in part. 
The 
judgment of the court shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court 
of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in 
title 28, United States Code, section 1254. 
62 stat. 928. 
"(h) (1) The 'Federal share' for any State shall be 100 per centum 
•Federal ahare". 
less that percentage which bears the same ratio to 50 per centum as 
the per capita income of such State bears to the per capita income of 
the continental United States (excluding Alaska), except that (A) 
the Federal share shall in no case be more than 66% per centum or 
less than 331^ per centum, and (B) the Federal share for Hawaii and 
Alaska shall be 50 per centum, and for Puerto Rico and the Virgin 
Islands shall be 66% per centum. 
"(2) The 'Federal shares' shall be promulgated by the Surgeon 
General between July 1 and September 30 of each even-numbered 
year, on the basis of the average of the per capita incomes of the States 
and of the continental United States for the three most recent con-
secutive years for which satisfactory data are available from the 
Department of Commerce. 
Such promulgation shall be conclusive 
for each of the two fiscal years in the period beginning July 1 next 
succeeding such promulgation: Provided^ That the Federal shares 
promulgated by the Surgeon General pursuant to section 4 of the 
Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956, shall be conclu-
sive for the period beginning July 1, 1956, and ending June 30, 1959. 
"(i) The population of the several States shall be determined on 
the basis of the latest figures furnished by the Department of Com-
merce. 
"(j) The method of computing and paying amounts pursuant to 
Method of com-
subsection (d) or (e) shall be as follows: 
men""**" *
"
*
* ^ ' ' " 
"(1) The Surgeon General shall, prior to the beginning of each 
calendar quarter or other period prescribed by him, estimate the 
amount to be paid to each State (or to each interstate agency in the 
502 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
[70 S T A T , 
case of subsection (e)) under the provisions of such subsection for 
such period, such estimate to be based on such records of the State 
(or the interstate agency) and information furnished by it, and such 
other investigation, as the Surgeon General may find necessary. 
"(2) The Surgeon General shall pay to the State (or to the inter-
state agency), from the allotment available therefor, the amount so 
estimated by him for any period, reduced or increased, as the case 
may be, by any sum (not previously adjusted under this paragraph) 
by which he finds that his estimate of the amount to be paid such State 
(or such interstate agency) for any prior period under such subsec-
tion was greater or less than the amount which should have been paid 
to such State (or such agency) for such prior period under such 
subsection. 
Such payments shall be made through the disbursing 
facilities of the Treasury Department, in such installments as the 
Surgeon General may determine. 
a. 
GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION 
"SEC. 6. (a) The Surgeon General is authorized to make grants to 
any State, municipality, or intermunicipal or interstate agency for 
the construction of necessary treatment works to prevent the discharge 
of untreated or inadequately treated sewage or other waste into any 
waters and for the purpose of reports, plans, and specifications in 
connection therewith. 
Limitauons. 
"^jj) Federal grants under this section shall be subject to the fol-
lowing limitations: (1) No grant shall be made for any project pur-
suant to this section unless such project shall have been approved by 
the appropriate State water pollution control agency or agencies and 
by the Surgeon General and unless such project is included in a com-
prehensive program developed pursuant to this Act; (2) no grant 
shall be made for any project in an amount exceeding 30 per centum 
of the estimated reasonable cost thereof as determined by the Surgeon 
General or in an amount exceeding $250,000, whichever is the smaller: 
Provided, 
That the grantee agrees to pay the remaining cost; (3) 
no grant shall be made for any project under this section until the 
applicant has made provision satisfactory to the Surgeon General for 
assuring proper and efficient operation and maintenance of the treat-
ment works after completion of the construction thereof; and (4) no 
grant shall be made for any project under this section unless such 
project is in conformity with the State water pollution control plan 
submitted pursuant to the provisions of section 5 and has been certi-
fied by the State water pollution control agency as entitled to priority 
over other eligible projects on the basis of financial as well as water 
pollution control needs. 
"(c) In determining the desirability of projects for treatment works 
and of approving Federal financial aid in connection therewith, con-
sideration shall be given by the Surgeon General to the public bene-
fits to be derived by the construction and the propriety of Federal 
aid in such construction, the relation of the ultimate cost of construct-
ing and maintaining the works to the public interest and to the public 
necessity for the works, and the adequacy of the provisions made or 
proposed by the applicant for such Federal financial aid for assuring 
proper and efficient operation and maintenance of the treatment works 
after completion of the construction thereof. The sums appropriated 
pursuant to subsection (d) for any fiscal year shall be allotted b^ the 
Surgeon General from time to time, in accordance with regulations, 
as follows: (1) 50 per centum of such sums in the ratio that the 
population of each State bears to the population of all the States, 
and (2) 50 per centum of such sums in the ratio that the quotient 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 660~JULY 9, 1956 
508 
obtained by dividing the per capita income of the United States by 
the per capita income of each State bears to the sum of such quotients 
for all the States. The allotment of a State under the preceding 
sentence shall be available, in accordance with the provisions of this 
section, for payments with respect to projects in such State which 
have been approved under this section. For purposes of this section, 
population shall be determined on the basis of the latest decennial 
census for which figures are available, as certified by the Secretary of 
Commerce, and per capita income for each State and for the United 
States shall be determined on the basis of the average of the per capita 
incomes of the States and of the continental United States for the 
three most recent consecutive years for which satisfactory data are 
available from the Department of Commerce. 
"(d) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal ^P'°pr^eition. 
year the sum of $50,000,000 for the purpose of making grants under 
this section: Provided, That the aggregate of sums so appropriated 
shall not exceed $500,000,000. 
Sums so appropriated shall remain 
available until expended: Provided, That at least 50 per centum of the 
funds so appropriated for each fiscal year shall be used for grants for 
the construction of treatment works servicing municipalities of one 
hundred and twenty-five thousand population or under, 
"(e) The Surgeon General shall make payments under this section 
through the disbursing facilities of the Department of the Treasury. 
Funds so paid shall be used exclusively to meet the cost of construction 
of the project for which the amount was paid. As used in this section ii^n^ai%°pim^l^ 
the term 'construction' includes preliminary planning to determine the in construction, 
economic and engineering feasibility of treatment works, the engineer-
ing, architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic investigations and 
studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, pro-
cedures, and other action necessary to the construction of treatment 
works; and the erection, building, acquisition, alteration, remodeling, 
improvement, or extension of treatment works; and the inspection and 
supervision of the construction of treatment works. 
"WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD 
"SEC. 7. (a) (1) There is hereby established in the Public Health 
Service a Water Pollution Control Advisory Board, composed of the 
Surgeon General or a sanitary engineer officer designated by him, who 
shall be chairman, and nine members appointed by the President none 
of whom shall be Federal officers or employees. The appointed mem-
bers, having due regard for the purposes of this Act, shall be selected 
from among representatives of various State, interstate and local gov-
ernmental agencies, of public or private interests contributing to, 
affected by, or concerned with water pollution, and of other public and 
private agencies, organizations, or groups demonstrating an active 
interest in the field of water pollution prevention and control, as well 
as other individuals who are expert in this field. 
"(2) (A) Each member appointed by the President shall hold office 
for a term of three years, except that (i) any member appointed to fill 
a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his 
predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of 
such term, and (ii) the terms of office of the members first taking office 
after June 30,1956, shall expire as follows: three at the end of one year 
after such date, three at the end of two years after such date, and three 
> 
at the end of three years after such date, as designated by the President 
at the time of appointment. 
None of the members appointed by the 
President shall be eligible for reappointment within one year after the 
end of his preceding term, but terms commencing prior to the enact-
504 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
Compensation. 
60 Stat. 808. 
Confarences. 
ment of the Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956 shall 
not be deemed 'preceding terms' for purposes of this sentence. 
"(B) The members of the Board who are not officers or employees of 
the United States, while attending conferences or meetings of the 
Board or while otherwise serving at the request of the Surgeon Gen-
eral, shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate to be fixed by 
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, but not exceeding 
$50 per diem, including travel time, and while away from their homes 
or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law (5 
U. S. C. 73b-2) for persons in the Government service employed 
intermittently. 
"(b) The Board shall advise, consult with, and make recommenda-
tions to the Surgeon General on matters of policy relating to the activi-
ties and functions of the Surgeon General under this Act. 
"(c) Such clerical and technical assistance as may be necessary to 
discharge the duties of the Board shall be provided from the person-
nel of the Public Health Service. 
"ENFORCEMENT MEASURES AGAINST POLLUTION OF INTERSTATE WATERS 
"SEC. 8. (a) The pollution of interstate waters in or adjacent to any 
State or States (whether the matter causing or contributing to such 
pollution is discharged directly into such waters or reaches such waters 
after discharge into a tributary of such waters), which endangers the 
health or welfare of persons in a State other than that in which the 
discharge originates, shall be subject to abatement as herein provided. 
"(b) Consistent with the policy declaration of this Act, State and 
interstate action to abate pollution of interstate waters shall be 
encouraged and shall not, except as otherwise provided by or pursuant 
to court order under subsection (g), be displaced by Federal enforce-
ment action. 
"(c) (1) Whenever the Surgeon General, on the basis of reports, 
surveys, or studies, has reason to believe that any pollution referred to 
in subsection (a) is occurring, or whenever requested by a State water 
pollution control agency or the Governor of any State, he shall give 
foripal notification of any such pollution to the State water pollution 
control agency and interstate agency, if any, of the State or States 
where the discharge or discharges causing or contributing to such 
pollution originates and shall call promptly a conference of the State 
water pollution control agencies and interstate agencies, if any, of the 
State or States where the discharge or discharges causing or contribut-
ing to such pollution originates and of the State or States claiming to 
be adversely affected by such pollution. 
"(2) The agencies called to attend such conference may bring such 
persons as they desire to the conference. 
Not less than three weeks' 
prior notice of the conference date shall be given to such agencies. 
"(3) Following this conference, the Surgeon General shall prepare 
and forward to all the water pollution control agencies attending the 
conference a summary of conference discussions including (A) occur-
rence of pollution of interstate waters subject to abatement under this 
Act; (B) adequacy of measures taken toward abatement of the pollu-
tion; and (C) nature of delays, if any, being encountered in abating 
the pollution. 
"(d) If the Surgeon General believes, upon the conclusion of the 
conference or thereafter, that effective progress toward abatement of 
such pollution is not being made and that the health or welfare of 
persons in a State other than that in which the discharge originates is 
being endangered, he shall recommend to the appropriate State water 
70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
505 
pollution control agency that it take necessary remedial action. 
The 
Surgeon General is to allow at least six months for the taking of such 
action. 
"(e) If such remedial action is not taken or action reasonably cal-
culated to secure abatement of such pollution is not taken, the Secre-
tary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall call a public hearing, 
to be held in or near one or more of the places where the discharge or 
discharges causing or contributing to such pollution originated, before 
a board of five or more persons appointed by the Secretary. 
Each 
State in which any discharge causing or contributing to such pollu-
tion originates and each State claiming to be adversely affected by such 
EoUution shall be given an opportunity to select one member of the 
oard and at least one member shall be a representative of the Depart-
ment of Commerce, and not less than a majority of the board shall be 
gersons other than officers or employees of the Department of Health, 
Iducation, and Welfare. 
At least three weeks' prior notice of said 
hearing shall be given to the State water pollution control agencies 
and interstate agencies, if any, called to attend the aforesaid hearing 
and the alleged polluter or polluters. 
On the basis of the evidence 
presented at such hearing, the board shall make findings as to whether 
pollution referred to in subsection (a) is occurring and whether effec-
tive progress toward abatement thereof is being made. If the board 
finds such pollution is occurring and effective progress toward abate-
ment is not being made it shall make recommendations to the Secretary 
of Health, Education, and Welfare concerning the measures, if any, 
which it finds to be reasonable and equitable to secure abatement of 
such pollution. 
The Secretary shall send such findings and recom-
mendations to the person or persons discharging any matter causing 
or contributing to such pollution, together with a notice specifying a 
reasonable time (not less than six months) to secure abatement of 
such pollution, and shall also send such findings and recommendations 
and such notice to the State water pollution control agency, and to the 
interstate agency, if any, of the State or States where such discharge 
or discharges originate. 
"(f) If action reasonably calculated to secure abatement of the 
E
ollution within the time specified in the notice following the public 
earing is not taken, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, 
with the written consent of the State water pollution control agency 
(or any officer or employee authorized to give such consent) of the 
State or States where the matter causing or contributing to the pollu-
tion is discharged or at the written request of the State water pollution 
control agency (or any officer or employee authorized to make such 
request) of any other State or States where the health or welfare of 
persons is endangered by such pollution, may request the Attorney 
General to bring a suit on behalf of the United States to secure abate-
ment of the pollution. 
" (g) The court shall receive in evidence in any such suit a transcript 
of the proceedings before the Board and a copy of the Board's recom-
niendations and shall receive such further evidence as the court in its 
discretion deems proper. The court, giving due consideration to the 
practicability and to the physical and economic feasibility of securing 
abatement of any pollution proved, shall have jurisdiction to enter 
such judgment, and orders enforcing such judgment, as the public 
interest and the equities of the case may require. 
"(h) As used in this section, the term 'person' includes an indi-
vidual, corporation, partnership, association. State, municipality, and 
political sulbdivision of the State. 
Public hearitv^st 
S u i t • on behalf 
of U. S. 
"Person". 
506 
PUBLIC LAW 660-JULY 9, 1956 
[70 S T A T , 
"COOPERATION TO CONTROL POLLUTION FROM FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS 
"SEC. 9. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Congress that 
any Federal department or agency having jurisdiction over any build-
ing, installation, or other property shall, insofar as practicable and 
consistent with the interests of the United States and within any 
available appropriations, cooperate with the Department of Health, 
Education, and Welfare, and with any State or interstate agency or 
municipality having jurisdiction over waters into which any matter is 
discharged from such property, in preventing or controlling the pollu-
tion of such waters. 
a ADMINISTRATION 
"SEC. 10. (a) The Surgeon General is authorized to prescribe such 
regulations as are necessary to carry out his functions under this Act. 
All regulations of the Surgeon General under this Act shall be subject 
to the approval of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. 
The Surgeon General may delegate to any officer or employee of the 
Public Health Service such of his powers and duties under this Act, 
except the making of regulations, as he may deem necessary or 
expedient. 
"(b) The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, with the 
consent of the head of any other agency of the United States, may 
utilize such officers and employees of such agency as may be found 
necessary to assist in carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
Appropriations. 
" (c) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Depart-
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare such sums as may be neces-
sary to enable it to carry out its functions under this Act. 
it DEFINITIONS 
"SEC. 11. When used in this Act— 
"(a) The term 'State water pollution control agency' means the 
State health authority, except that, in the case of any State in which 
there is a single State agency, other than the State health authority, 
charged with responsibility for enforcing State laws relating to the 
abatement of water pollution, it means such other State agency. 
"(b) The term 'interstate agency' means an agency of two or more 
States established by or pursuant to an agreement or compact 
approved by the Congress, or any other agency of two or more 
States, having substantial powers or duties pertaining to the control 
of pollution of waters. 
'(c) The term 'treatment works' means the various devices used in 
the treatment of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature, in-
cluding the necessary intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, pumping, 
power, and other equipment, and their appurtenances, and includes 
any extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations 
thereof. 
"(d) The term 'State' means a State, the District of Columbia, 
Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands. 
"(e) The term 'interstate waters' means all rivers, lakes, and other 
waters that flow across, or form a part of, boundaries between two 
or more States. 
"(f) The term 'municipality' means a city, town, borough, county, 
parish, district, or other public body created by or pursuant to State 
law and having jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial 
wastes, or other wastes. 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 661-JULY 9, 1956 
507 
"OTHER AUTHORITY NOT AFFECTED 
"SEC. 12. This Act shall not be construed as (1) superseding or 
limiting the functions, under any other law, of the Surgeon General 
or of the Public Health Service, or of any other officer or agency of the 
United States, relating to water pollution, or (2) affecting or impair-
ing the provisions of the Oil Pollution Act, 1924, or sections 13 through 
^| ^^' ^^^' 
17 of the Act entitled 'An Act making appropriations for the construc-
tion, repair, and preservation of certain public works on rivers and 
harbors and for other purposes'j approved March 3,1899, as amended, 
33us^*40i^403 
or (3) affecting or impairing the provisions of any treaty of the United 404, 406-409,' 411-
c}i. 1 
416,418, 549,686, 
States. 
687l 
"SEPARABILITY 
"SEC. 13. If any provision of this Act, or the application of any 
provision of this Act to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the 
application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, and 
the remainder of this Act, shall not be affected thereby. 
(( 
SHORT TITLE 
"SEC. 14. This Act may be cited as the 'Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act'." 
SEC. 2, The title of such Act is amended to read "An Act to provide 
for water pollution control activities in the Public Health Service of 
the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and for other 
purposes." 
SEC. 3. Terms of office as members of the Water Pollution Control te^s^oVo^ffic''e? "' 
Advisory Board (established pursuant to section 6 (b) of the Water 
Pollution Control Act, as in effect prior to the enactment of this Act) 
subsisting on the date of enactment of this Act shall expire at the 
close of business on such date. 
SEC. 4. As soon as possible after the date of enactment of this Act the 
Surgeon General shall promulgate Federal shares in the manner pro-
vided in subsection (h) of section 5 of the Water Pollution Control 
Act, as amended by this Act (and without regard to the date specified 
therein for such promulgation), such Federal shares to be conclusive 
for the purposes of section 5 of such Act for the period beginning 
July 1, 1956, and ending June 30, 1959. 
SEC. 5. In the case of any discharge or discharges causing or contrib-
uting to water pollution with respect to which the actions by the 
Surgeon General prescribed under paragraph (2) of section 2 (d) of 
the Water Pollution Control Act, as in effect prior to the enactment of 
this Act, have already been completed prior to such enactment, the 
provisions of such section shall continue to be applicable; except that 
nothing in this section shall prevent action with respect to any such 
pollution under and in accordance with the provisions of the Water 
Pollution Control Act, as amended by this Act. 
SEC. 6. This Act may be cited as the "Water Pollution Control Act 
Amendments of 1956". 
Approved July 9, 1956. 
Public Law 661 
CHAPTER 519 
AN ACT 
j ^ y 9, 1956 
To provide punishment for certain confldence game swindles. 
^^*^^^-* 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
in 
the United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section