Trouble in Paradise

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, Public Law 92-500 mandate a high degree of treatment with an ultimate goal of no polluting discharges. While this has been a goal for a long time the paradise of no pollution may be a mixed blessing. The impacts of this unprecedented pollution abatement effort especially in the social context are likely to be large and will often impinge on other programs and conflict with other human goals. To anticipate and alleviate such likely troubles, systematic impact assessment is needed. A method for planning by impacts derived from an actual wastewater management planning effort in New England is presented.