Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73
§1314 Information and guidelines
Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 26— - WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - STANDARDS AND ENFORCEMENT › § 1314
Summary
The EPA Administrator must write and share clear scientific rules and guidance about water quality and pollution. Within one year after October 18, 1972 (and update them later), the Administrator must publish criteria about how pollutants affect health, wildlife, plants, shorelines, and recreation; how pollutants move and break down; and how they change ecosystems. The Administrator must give States and the public these criteria and update them. By December 27, 1977 the Administrator must also list common “conventional” pollutants within 90 days (but not heat from a discharge), and within six months publish information to protect public water supplies, fish, shellfish, wildlife, and recreation where required. The Administrator must publish each year (starting within three months after December 27, 1977) the water quality standards in effect, the pollutants tied to each standard, and the waters they apply to. Other deadlines: guidance to States within 9 months after February 4, 1987; methods for toxic pollutant criteria within 2 years after February 4, 1987; new pathogen criteria for coastal recreation waters no later than 5 years after October 10, 2000 and review every 5 years; and a lake restoration manual within 1 year after February 4, 1987 and every two years after that. The Administrator must also publish guidance on nonpoint sources, pretreatment, test procedures, uniform permit forms, secondary and alternative treatment, and may work with other federal agencies and transfer funds to them. Funding authorized: $100,000,000 per fiscal year for 1979–1983 and necessary sums for 1984–1990. The Administrator must also issue rules and yearly updates (starting within one year after October 18, 1972) setting guidelines for limits on discharges from factories and other point sources. These rules must describe the pollution reductions possible from the best practicable, best available, and best conventional technologies, and list the factors to consider (cost, age of equipment, process changes, engineering, and non-water environmental impacts). The EPA must publish information on ways to eliminate or reduce discharges and may add special controls for toxic or hazardous pollutants tied to industrial sites; those controls apply in permits. States must, within 2 years after February 4, 1987, send lists of waters that still won’t meet water quality goals, identify polluting point sources and amounts, and submit control plans that will meet standards as soon as possible but no later than 3 years after a plan is set. The Administrator must approve or disapprove those plans within 120 days after the 2-year deadline and, if needed, step in and implement plans within 1 year. The EPA must also publish, within 12 months after February 4, 1987 and every two years after, a public plan for reviewing and scheduling effluent guidelines and filling any gaps, with a public comment period.
Full Legal Text
Title 33, §1314
Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall develop and publish, within one year after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter revise) criteria for water quality accurately reflecting the latest scientific knowledge (A) on the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on health and welfare including, but not limited to, plankton, fish, shellfish, wildlife, plant life, shorelines, beaches, esthetics, and recreation which may be expected from the presence of pollutants in any body of water, including ground water; (B) on the concentration and dispersal of pollutants, or their byproducts, through biological, physical, and chemical processes; and (C) on the effects of pollutants on biological community diversity, productivity, and stability, including information on the factors affecting rates of eutrophication and rates of organic and inorganic sedimentation for varying types of receiving waters.
(2)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall develop and publish, within one year after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter revise) information (A) on the factors necessary to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of all navigable waters, ground waters, waters of the contiguous zone, and the oceans; (B) on the factors necessary for the protection and propagation of shellfish, fish, and wildlife for classes and categories of receiving waters and to allow recreational activities in and on the water; and (C) on the measurement and classification of water quality; and (D) for the purpose of section 1313 of this title, on and the identification of pollutants suitable for maximum daily load measurement correlated with the achievement of water quality objectives.
(3)Such criteria and information and revisions thereof shall be issued to the States and shall be published in the Federal Register and otherwise made available to the public.
(4)The Administrator shall, within 90 days after December 27, 1977, and from time to time thereafter, publish and revise as appropriate information identifying conventional pollutants, including but not limited to, pollutants classified as biological oxygen demanding, suspended solids, fecal coliform, and pH. The thermal component of any discharge shall not be identified as a conventional pollutant under this paragraph.
(5)(A)The Administrator, to the extent practicable before consideration of any request under section 1311(g) of this title and within six months after December 27, 1977, shall develop and publish information on the factors necessary for the protection of public water supplies, and the protection and propagation of a balanced population of shellfish, fish and wildlife, and to allow recreational activities, in and on the water.
(B)The Administrator, to the extent practicable before consideration of any application under section 1311(h) of this title and within six months after December 27, 1977, shall develop and publish information on the factors necessary for the protection of public water supplies, and the protection and propagation of a balanced indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife, and to allow recreational activities, in and on the water.
(6)The Administrator shall, within three months after December 27, 1977, and annually thereafter, for purposes of section 1311(h) of this title publish and revise as appropriate information identifying each water quality standard in effect under this chapter or State law, the specific pollutants associated with such water quality standard, and the particular waters to which such water quality standard applies.
(7)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate State agencies and on the basis of criteria and information published under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, shall develop and publish, within 9 months after February 4, 1987, guidance to the States on performing the identification required by subsection (l)(1) of this section.
(8)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate State agencies and within 2 years after February 4, 1987, shall develop and publish information on methods for establishing and measuring water quality criteria for toxic pollutants on other bases than pollutant-by-pollutant criteria, including biological monitoring and assessment methods.
(9)(A)Not later than 5 years after October 10, 2000, after consultation and in cooperation with appropriate Federal, State, tribal, and local officials (including local health officials), the Administrator shall publish new or revised water quality criteria for pathogens and pathogen indicators (including a revised list of testing methods, as appropriate), based on the results of the studies conducted under section 1254(v) of this title, for the purpose of protecting human health in coastal recreation waters.
(B)Not later than the date that is 5 years after the date of publication of water quality criteria under this paragraph, and at least once every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator shall review and, as necessary, revise the water quality criteria.
(b)For the purpose of adopting or revising effluent limitations under this chapter the Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, publish within one year of October 18, 1972, regulations, providing guidelines for effluent limitations, and, at least annually thereafter, revise, if appropriate, such regulations. Such regulations shall—
(1)(A)identify, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of the best practicable control technology currently available for classes and categories of point sources (other than publicly owned treatment works); and
(B)specify factors to be taken into account in determining the control measures and practices to be applicable to point sources (other than publicly owned treatment works) within such categories or classes. Factors relating to the assessment of best practicable control technology currently available to comply with subsection (b)(1) of section 1311 of this title shall include consideration of the total cost of application of technology in relation to the effluent reduction benefits to be achieved from such application, and shall also take into account the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, the engineering aspects of the application of various types of control techniques, process changes, non-water quality environmental impact (including energy requirements), and such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate;
(2)(A)identify, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of the best control measures and practices achievable including treatment techniques, process and procedure innovations, operating methods, and other alternatives for classes and categories of point sources (other than publicly owned treatment works); and
(B)specify factors to be taken into account in determining the best measures and practices available to comply with subsection (b)(2) of section 1311 of this title to be applicable to any point source (other than publicly owned treatment works) within such categories or classes. Factors relating to the assessment of best available technology shall take into account the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, the engineering aspects of the application of various types of control techniques, process changes, the cost of achieving such effluent reduction, non-water quality environmental impact (including energy requirements), and such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate;
(3)identify control measures and practices available to eliminate the discharge of pollutants from categories and classes of point sources, taking into account the cost of achieving such elimination of the discharge of pollutants; and
(4)(A)identify, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of the best conventional pollutant control technology (including measures and practices) for classes and categories of point sources (other than publicly owned treatment works); and
(B)specify factors to be taken into account in determining the best conventional pollutant control technology measures and practices to comply with section 1311(b)(2)(E) of this title to be applicable to any point source (other than publicly owned treatment works) within such categories or classes. Factors relating to the assessment of best conventional pollutant control technology (including measures and practices) shall include consideration of the reasonableness of the relationship between the costs of attaining a reduction in effluents and the effluent reduction benefits derived, and the comparison of the cost and level of reduction of such pollutants from the discharge from publicly owned treatment works to the cost and level of reduction of such pollutants from a class or category of industrial sources, and shall take into account the age of equipment and facilities involved, the process employed, the engineering aspects of the application of various types of control techniques, process changes, non-water quality environmental impact (including energy requirements), and such other factors as the Administrator deems appropriate.
(c)The Administrator, after consultation, with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall issue to the States and appropriate water pollution control agencies within 270 days after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter) information on the processes, procedures, or operating methods which result in the elimination or reduction of the discharge of pollutants to implement standards of performance under section 1316 of this title. Such information shall include technical and other data, including costs, as are available on alternative methods of elimination or reduction of the discharge of pollutants. Such information, and revisions thereof, shall be published in the Federal Register and otherwise shall be made available to the public.
(d)(1)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall publish within sixty days after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter) information, in terms of amounts of constituents and chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of pollutants, on the degree of effluent reduction attainable through the application of secondary treatment.
(2)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall publish within nine months after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter) information on alternative waste treatment management techniques and systems available to implement section 1281 of this title.
(3)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall promulgate within one hundred and eighty days after December 27, 1977, guidelines for identifying and evaluating innovative and alternative wastewater treatment processes and techniques referred to in section 1281(g)(5) of this title.
(4)For the purposes of this subsection, such biological treatment facilities as oxidation ponds, lagoons, and ditches and trickling filters shall be deemed the equivalent of secondary treatment. The Administrator shall provide guidance under paragraph (1) of this subsection on design criteria for such facilities, taking into account pollutant removal efficiencies and, consistent with the objectives of this chapter, assuring that water quality will not be adversely affected by deeming such facilities as the equivalent of secondary treatment.
(e)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, may publish regulations, supplemental to any effluent limitations specified under subsections (b) and (c) of this section for a class or category of point sources, for any specific pollutant which the Administrator is charged with a duty to regulate as a toxic or hazardous pollutant under section 1317(a)(1) or 1321 of this title, to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, and drainage from raw material storage which the Administrator determines are associated with or ancillary to the industrial manufacturing or treatment process within such class or category of point sources and may contribute significant amounts of such pollutants to navigable waters. Any applicable controls established under this subsection shall be included as a requirement for the purposes of section 1311, 1312, 1316, 1317, or 1343 of this title, as the case may be, in any permit issued to a point source pursuant to section 1342 of this title.
(f)The Administrator, after consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies and other interested persons, shall issue to appropriate Federal agencies, the States, water pollution control agencies, and agencies designated under section 1288 of this title, within one year after October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter) information including (1) guidelines for identifying and evaluating the nature and extent of nonpoint sources of pollutants, and (2) processes, procedures, and methods to control pollution resulting from—
(A)agricultural and silvicultural activities, including runoff from fields and crop and forest lands;
(B)mining activities, including runoff and siltation from new, currently operating, and abandoned surface and underground mines;
(C)all construction activity, including runoff from the facilities resulting from such construction;
(D)the disposal of pollutants in wells or in subsurface excavations;
(E)salt water intrusion resulting from reductions of fresh water flow from any cause, including extraction of ground water, irrigation, obstruction, and diversion; and
(F)changes in the movement, flow, or circulation of any navigable waters or ground waters, including changes caused by the construction of dams, levees, channels, causeways, or flow diversion facilities.
(g)(1)For the purpose of assisting States in carrying out programs under section 1342 of this title, the Administrator shall publish, within one hundred and twenty days after October 18, 1972, and review at least annually thereafter and, if appropriate, revise guidelines for pretreatment of pollutants which he determines are not susceptible to treatment by publicly owned treatment works. Guidelines under this subsection shall be established to control and prevent the discharge into the navigable waters, the contiguous zone, or the ocean (either directly or through publicly owned treatment works) of any pollutant which interferes with, passes through, or otherwise is incompatible with such works.
(2)When publishing guidelines under this subsection, the Administrator shall designate the category or categories of treatment works to which the guidelines shall apply.
(h)The Administrator shall, within one hundred and eighty days from October 18, 1972, promulgate guidelines establishing test procedures for the analysis of pollutants that shall include the factors which must be provided in any certification pursuant to section 1341 of this title or permit application pursuant to section 1342 of this title.
(i)The Administrator shall (1) within sixty days after October 18, 1972, promulgate guidelines for the purpose of establishing uniform application forms and other minimum requirements for the acquisition of information from owners and operators of point-sources of discharge subject to any State program under section 1342 of this title, and (2) within sixty days from October 18, 1972, promulgate guidelines establishing the minimum procedural and other elements of any State program under section 1342 of this title, which shall include:
(A)monitoring requirements;
(B)reporting requirements (including procedures to make information available to the public);
(C)enforcement provisions; and
(D)funding, personnel qualifications, and manpower requirements (including a requirement that no board or body which approves permit applications or portions thereof shall include, as a member, any person who receives, or has during the previous two years received, a significant portion of his income directly or indirectly from permit holders or applicants for a permit).
(j)The Administrator shall, within 1 year after February 4, 1987, and biennially thereafter, publish and disseminate a lake restoration guidance manual describing methods, procedures, and processes to guide State and local efforts to improve, restore, and enhance water quality in the Nation’s publicly owned lakes.
(k)(1)The Administrator shall enter into agreements with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Interior, and the heads of such other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States as the Administrator determines, to provide for the maximum utilization of other Federal laws and programs for the purpose of achieving and maintaining water quality through appropriate implementation of plans approved under section 1288 of this title and nonpoint source pollution management programs approved under section 1329 of this title.
(2)The Administrator is authorized to transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Interior and the heads of such other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States as the Administrator determines, any funds appropriated under paragraph (3) of this subsection to supplement funds otherwise appropriated to programs authorized pursuant to any agreement under paragraph (1).
(3)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this subsection, $100,000,000 per fiscal year for the fiscal years 1979 through 1983 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1984 through 1990.
(l)(1)Not later than 2 years after February 4, 1987, each State shall submit to the Administrator for review, approval, and implementation under this subsection—
(A)a list of those waters within the State which after the application of effluent limitations required under section 1311(b)(2) of this title cannot reasonably be anticipated to attain or maintain (i) water quality standards for such waters reviewed, revised, or adopted in accordance with section 1313(c)(2)(B) of this title, due to toxic pollutants, or (ii) that water quality which shall assure protection of public health, public water supplies, agricultural and industrial uses, and the protection and propagation of a balanced population of shellfish, fish and wildlife, and allow recreational activities in and on the water;
(B)a list of all navigable waters in such State for which the State does not expect the applicable standard under section 1313 of this title will be achieved after the requirements of section 1311(b), 1316, and 1317(b) of this title are met, due entirely or substantially to discharges from point sources of any toxic pollutants listed pursuant to section 1317(a) of this title;
(C)for each segment of the navigable waters included on such lists, a determination of the specific point sources discharging any such toxic pollutant which is believed to be preventing or impairing such water quality and the amount of each such toxic pollutant discharged by each such source; and
(D)for each such segment, an individual control strategy which the State determines will produce a reduction in the discharge of toxic pollutants from point sources identified by the State under this paragraph through the establishment of effluent limitations under section 1342 of this title and water quality standards under section 1313(c)(2)(B) of this title, which reduction is sufficient, in combination with existing controls on point and nonpoint sources of pollution, to achieve the applicable water quality standard as soon as possible, but not later than 3 years after the date of the establishment of such strategy.
(2)Not later than 120 days after the last day of the 2-year period referred to in paragraph (1), the Administrator shall approve or disapprove the control strategies submitted under paragraph (1) by any State.
(3)If a State fails to submit control strategies in accordance with paragraph (1) or the Administrator does not approve the control strategies submitted by such State in accordance with paragraph (1), then, not later than 1 year after the last day of the period referred to in paragraph (2), the Administrator, in cooperation with such State and after notice and opportunity for public comment, shall implement the requirements of paragraph (1) in such State. In the implementation of such requirements, the Administrator shall, at a minimum, consider for listing under this subsection any navigable waters for which any person submits a petition to the Administrator for listing not later than 120 days after such last day.
(m)(1)Within 12 months after February 4, 1987, and biennially thereafter, the Administrator shall publish in the Federal Register a plan which shall—
(A)establish a schedule for the annual review and revision of promulgated effluent guidelines, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
(B)identify categories of sources discharging toxic or nonconventional pollutants for which guidelines under subsection (b)(2) of this section and section 1316 of this title have not previously been published; and
(C)establish a schedule for promulgation of effluent guidelines for categories identified in subparagraph (B), under which promulgation of such guidelines shall be no later than 4 years after February 4, 1987, for categories identified in the first published plan or 3 years after the publication of the plan for categories identified in later published plans.
(2)The Administrator shall provide for public review and comment on the plan prior to final publication.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Pub. L. 95–217, § 50, Dec. 27, 1977, 91 Stat. 1588, provided in part that, upon the enactment of subsec. (e) of this section by Pub. L. 95–217 and the concurrent redesignation of former subsecs. (e) to (j) of this section as (f) to (k), respectively, all references to former subsecs. (e) to (j) be changed to (f) to (k), respectively.
Amendments
2000—Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 106–284 added par. (9). 1987—Subsec. (a)(7), (8). Pub. L. 100–4, § 308(c), added pars. (7) and (8). Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 100–4, § 315(c), amended subsec. (j) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (j) read as follows: “The Administrator shall issue information biennially on methods, procedures, and processes as may be appropriate to restore and enhance the quality of the Nation’s publicly owned freshwater lakes.” Subsec. (k)(1). Pub. L. 100–4, § 316(e), inserted “and nonpoint source pollution management programs approved under section 1329 of this title” before period at end. Subsec. (k)(3). Pub. L. 100–4, § 101(f), inserted “and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 1984 through 1990” after “1983”. Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 100–4, § 308(a), added subsec. (l). Subsec. (m). Pub. L. 100–4, § 308(f), added subsec. (m). 1981—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 97–117 added par. (4). 1977—Subsec. (a)(4) to (6). Pub. L. 95–217, § 48(a), added pars. (4) to (6). Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 95–217, § 48(b), added par. (4). Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 95–217, § 49, added par. (3). Subsecs. (e) to (i). Pub. L. 95–217, § 50, added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsecs. (e) to (h) as (f) to (i), respectively. Former subsec. (i) redesignated (j). Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 95–217, §§ 50, 62(b), redesignated former subsec. (i) as (j) and substituted “shall issue information biennially on methods” for “shall, within 270 days after
October 18, 1972 (and from time to time thereafter), issue such information on methods”. Former subsec. (j) redesignated (k). Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 95–217, §§ 50, 51, redesignated former subsec. (j) as (k), substituted “The Administrator shall enter into agreements with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Interior, and the heads of such other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States as the Administrator determines, to provide the maximum utilization of other Federal laws and programs” for “The Administrator shall, within six months from
October 18, 1972, enter into agreements with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the maximum utilization of the appropriate programs authorized under other Federal law to be carried out by such Secretaries” in par. (1), made conforming
Amendments
in par. (2), and in par. (3) authorized appropriations for fiscal years 1979 through 1983.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Review of Effluent Guidelines Promulgated Prior to
December 27, 1977 Pub. L. 95–217, § 73, Dec. 27, 1977, 91 Stat. 1609, directed Administrator, within 90 days after Dec. 27, 1977, to review every effluent guideline promulgated prior to that date which was final or interim final (other than those applicable to industrial categories listed in table 2 of Committee Print Numbered 95–30 of Committee on Public Works and Transportation of House of Representatives) and which applied to those pollutants identified pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1314(a)(4) and, on or before
July 1, 1980, to review every guideline applicable to industrial categories listed in such table 2, authorized Administrator, upon completion of each such review to make such adjustments in any such guidelines as may be necessary to carry out 33 U.S.C. 1314(b)(4), directed Administrator to publish the results of each such review, and provided for judicial review of Administrator’s actions.
Executive Documents
Enforcement
functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture, insofar as they involve lands and programs under jurisdiction of that Department, relating to compliance with this chapter with respect to pre-
Construction
,
Construction
, and initial operation of transportation system for Canadian and Alaskan natural gas were transferred to the Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, until the first anniversary of the date of initial operation of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, see Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1979, §§ 102(f), 203(a), 44 F.R. 33663, 33666, 93 Stat. 1373, 1376, effective July 1, 1979, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System abolished and functions and authority vested in Inspector transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 3012(b) of Pub. L. 102–486, set out as an Abolition of Office of Federal Inspector note under section 719e of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. Functions and authority vested in Secretary of Energy subsequently transferred to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects by section 720d(f) of Title 15. Contiguous Zone of United States For extension of contiguous zone of United States, see Proc. No. 7219, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 1314
Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73