Federal-State Relations in Water Quality Planning

With passage of the 1972 Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act the Federal government for the first time significantly entered the field of water quality planning. The 1972 Act requires two distinct planning processes: (1) Statewide basin planning designed to accomplish general water quality planning and to establish maximum daily loads for areas where waste load allocations are needed; and (2) Waste treatment management planning which is designed to provide a detailed description of the physical and institutional requirements for treatment works and waste management in limited areas characterized by urban-industrial concentration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delay in promulgating regulations and lack of Federal funding during 1972-1974 resulted in virtually no planning being done during that period. Although Federal law requires states to use a water quality standard planning approach, primary responsibility for standard setting is left with state and local agencies.