United States Environmental Protection Agency                                                                  Office of Water (4503F) Washington, DC 20460 EPA-841-F-00-006
June 2000 

Water Quality Conditions in the United States: A Profile from the 1998 National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress

States, tribes, territories and interstate commissions report that, in 1998, about 40% of U.S. streams, lakes and estuaries that were assessed were not clean enough to support uses such as fishing and swimming. About 32% of U.S. waters were assessed for this national inventory of water quality. Leading pollutants in impaired waters include siltation, bacteria, nutrients and metals. Runoff from agricultural lands and urban areas are the primary sources of these pollutants. Although the U.S. has made significant progress in cleaning up polluted waters over the past 30 years, much remains to be done to restore and protect the Nation's waters.

Findings 

Recent water quality data finds that more than 291,000 miles of assessed rivers and streams do not meet water quality standards. Across all types of waterbodies, states, territories, tribes and other jurisdictions report that poor water quality affects aquatic life, fish consumption, swimming, and drinking water. In their 1998 reports, states assessed 840,000 miles of rivers and 17.4 million acres of lakes, including 150,000 more river miles and 600,000 more lake acres than in their previous reports in 1996. 


Of the assessed ocean shoreline miles, 12% are impaired, primarily because of bacteria, turbidity and excess nutrients. Primary sources of pollution include urban runoff, storm sewers and land disposal of wastes. States assessed only 5% of the Nation's ocean shoreline miles. 

States also found that 96% of assessed Great Lakes shoreline miles are impaired, primarily due to pollutants in fish tissue at levels that exceed standards to protect human health. States assessed 90% of Great Lakes shoreline miles. 

Wetlands are being lost in the United States at a rate of about 100,000 acres per year in the contiguous United States. Eleven states and tribes listed sources of recent wetland loss; conversion for agricultural uses, road construction, and residential development are leading reasons for loss. 

The states found that ground water quality is good and can support many different uses. However, measurable negative impacts have been detected and are commonly traced back to sources such as leaking underground storage tanks, septic systems, and landfills. 

Reporting Under the Clean Water Act 

This National Water Quality Inventory is the twelfth biennial report to Congress prepared under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act. It contains information from each state on the quality of our nation's rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, coastal waters, and ground water, along with information on public health and aquatic life concerns. It serves as a snapshot of water quality conditions across the country. 

To assess water quality, states and other jurisdictions compare their monitoring results to the water quality standards they have set for their waters. These standards consist of designated uses (such as drinking, swimming, or fishing), criteria to protect those uses (such as chemical-specific thresholds that should not be exceeded), and an antidegradation policy intended to keep waters that do meet standards from deteriorating from their current condition. 

Under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, there is a second reporting requirement -- that states provide lists of all of their impaired waters. These lists are then used to prioritize state restoration activities. This is accomplished through the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), calculations of the amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. A TMDL is the sum of all allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and nonpoint sources. It includes reductions needed to meet water quality standards and allocates those reductions among sources in the watershed. 

Information reported by the states under the two Clean Water Act reporting requirements is generally consistent, although the 303(d) lists often include specific information from more targeted monitoring activities. This information clearly points to the need to restore polluted waters and maintain the quality of waters that currently meet standards. In August 1999, EPA announced a new proposal for a strengthened TMDL program. Since August, EPA has worked to incorporate comments from stakeholders and to refine the proposal to be an effective, common-sense approach to water restoration led by states, territories, and tribes in partnership with federal and local governments, and local communities. 

For Further Information 

For a copy of the National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report to Congress (EPA 841-R-00-001), visit www.epa.gov/305b/ or call the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications at 800-490-9198. 


National Water Quality Inventory: 1998 Report Home 

Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water 
Email: OW-General@epamail.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/305b/98report/98summary.html

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