Clean water
Subtitle: further implementation and better cost data needed to determine impact of EPA's Storm Water Program on communities : report to Congressional requesters
Publisher: U.S. Government Accountability Office
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Washington, D.C.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 109
Subjects: Urban runoff; Management; Water quality management; Water; Pollution; United States. Environmental Protection Agency; United States
Other titles: Implementation of EPA's storm water program
Description: Urban storm water runoff is a major contributor to the nation's degraded waters. Under the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a program requiring communities to obtain permits and implement activities to control storm water pollution. EPAs Phase I regulations (1990) applied to communities with populations of 100,000 or more, and its Phase II regulations (1999) covered smaller urban communities. Communities must report progress in meeting permit requirements. Some have raised concerns that storm water requirements impose an undue burden. To evaluate storm water program costs, EPA developed estimates for both phases. GAO was asked to (1) determine the progress in implementing the storm water program, (2) evaluate the extent to which the program burdens communities, (3) examine the accuracy of EPA's cost estimates, and (4) examine the data available for assessing program burden. GAO collected data for all states and a sample of 130 communities, among other steps.
Notes: Also available on the World Wide Web.

"May 2007"

Paper version available from: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G St., NW, Rm. LM, Washington, D.C. 20548.

"GAO-07-479."

Cover title.

Includes bibliographical references.