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Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§1292 Definitions

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 26— - WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF TREATMENT WORKS › § 1292

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines three key words used in this part: construction, treatment works, and replacement. Construction means the planning, studies, designs, building, buying, changing, improving, testing of new wastewater methods that meet the rules under section 1314(d)(3), and the inspection or supervision of those activities. Treatment works means the equipment and systems used to store, treat, recycle, or reclaim municipal sewage or liquid industrial waste — for example sewers, pumps, treatment units, standby units, and land needed for treatment or residue disposal. It also covers other ways to prevent or handle municipal or industrial waste, including storm water; grant applications using those ways must show with data that they are the most cost‑efficient choice over the life of the works to meet sections 1311, 1312, or 1281. The Administrator had to publish guidelines for evaluating those methods, including cost‑effectiveness, within 180 days after October 18, 1972, and update them at least once a year. Replacement means money spent to get and install equipment during the useful life of the treatment works to keep its capacity and performance.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1292

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this subchapter—
(1)The term “construction” means any one or more of the following: preliminary planning to determine the feasibility of treatment works, engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal, or economic investigations or studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures, field testing of innovative or alternative waste water treatment processes and techniques meeting guidelines promulgated under section 1314(d)(3) of this title, or other necessary actions, erection, building, acquisition, alteration, remodeling, improvement, or extension of treatment works, or the inspection or supervision of any of the foregoing items.
(2)(A)The term “treatment works” means any devices and systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature to implement section 1281 of this title, or necessary to recycle or reuse water at the most economical cost over the estimated life of the works, including intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection systems, pumping, power, and other equipment, and their appurtenances; extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities; and acquisition of the land that will be an integral part of the treatment process (including land used for the storage of treated wastewater in land treatment systems prior to land application) or will be used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment and acquisition of other land, and interests in land, that are necessary for construction.
(B)In addition to the definition contained in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, “treatment works” means any other method or system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating, or disposing of municipal waste, including storm water runoff, or industrial waste, including waste in combined storm water and sanitary sewer systems. Any application for construction grants which includes wholly or in part such methods or systems shall, in accordance with guidelines published by the Administrator pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, contain adequate data and analysis demonstrating such proposal to be, over the life of such works, the most cost efficient alternative to comply with section 1311 or 1312 of this title, or the requirements of section 1281 of this title.
(C)For the purposes of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the Administrator shall, within one hundred and eighty days after October 18, 1972, publish and thereafter revise no less often than annually, guidelines for the evaluation of methods, including cost-effective analysis, described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.
(3)The term “replacement” as used in this subchapter means those expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories, or appurtenances during the useful life of the treatment works necessary to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works are designed and constructed.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Par. (2)(A). Pub. L. 113–121 struck out “any works, including site” before “acquisition of the land”, substituted “will be used for ultimate” for “is used for ultimate”, and inserted “and acquisition of other land, and interests in land, that are necessary for

Construction

” before period at end. 1981—Par. (1). Pub. L. 97–117 inserted “field testing of innovative or alternative waste water treatment processes and techniques meeting guidelines promulgated under section 1314(d)(3) of this title,” after “procedures,”. 1977—Par. (2)(A). Pub. L. 95–217 inserted “(including land used for the storage of treated wastewater in land treatment systems prior to land application)” after “integral part of the treatment process”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2014 Amendment Pub. L. 113–121, title V, § 5012(c), June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1328, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 1362 of this title] shall take effect on October 1, 2014.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1292

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73