Water Enforcement Policy, Guidance and Publications
This section provides policy and guidance documents related to enforcement of the clean waters and drinking water.
On this page:
Clean Water Act Policy and Guidance Documents
- General / National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
- Stormwater
- Oil Pollution Act
- Wetlands
- Pretreatment
- Combined Sewer Overflows / Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs/SSOs)
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
- Citizen Suits
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Policy and Guidance Documents
Clean Water Act Policy and Guidance Documents
Biosolids
General/NPDES
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Enforcement
- Memo on the Relaunch of the NPDES Wastewater Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot Program (pdf)
- Approval of NPDES Wastewater Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot Program
- Integrated Planning
- Guidance and Procedures for Administrative Orders Issued Under Section 309 of the Clean Water Act
- Interim Guidance to Strengthen Performance in the NPDES Program
- Enforcement Management System Guide
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Compliance
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Penalty Policies and Guidance
- Revised Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy
- Guidance on the Distinction among Pleading, Negotiating, and Litigating Civil Penalties for Enforcement Cases under the Clean Water Act
- Guidance on Effect of Clean Water Amendment Civil Penalty Assessment Language
- Guidance on State Action Preemption Civil Penalty Actions under the Federal Clean Water Act
- Guidance on Claim Splitting in Enforcement Actions under the Clean Water Act
Stormwater
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Penalty Policies and Guidance
- Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot for Industrial Stormwater Non-Filers Under the Clean Water Act
- Supplemental Guidance to the 1995 Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy for Violations of the Industrial Stormwater Requirements
- Supplemental Guidance to the Interim Clean Water Act Settlement Penalty Policy (March 1, 1995) for Violations of the Construction Storm Water Requirements
- Revised Expedited Settlement Offer Program for Storm Water Construction
- Expedited Settlement Agreement Pilot Program for Stormwater MSGP Violations Under the Clean Water Act (pdf)
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Oil Pollution Act
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Wetlands
- Injunctive Relief Requirements in Section 404 Enforcement Actions
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Penalty Policies and Guidance
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Pretreatment
- Local Limits Developmental Guidance
- Local Limits Developmental Guidance Appendices
- Enforcement Initiative for Failure to Adequately Implement Approved Local Pretreatment Programs
- Guidance Manual on the Development and Implementation of Local Discharge Limitations under the Pretreatment Program
- Guidance Manual for Implementation of Total Toxic Organics (TTO) Pretreatment Standards
- Guidance Manual for Iron and Steel Manufacturing Pretreatment Standards
- Guidance for Pulp, Paper and Paperboard and Builders Paper and Board Mills Pretreatment Standards
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Combined Sewer Overflows / Sanitary Sewer Overflows (CSOs/SSOs)
- Achieving Water Quality Through Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans
- Protecting Water Quality with Green Infrastructure in EPAs Water Permitting and Enforcement Programs
- EPA Enforcement Preventing Backup of Municipal Sewage into Basements
- Guidelines for Federal Enforcement in CSO/SSO Cases
- Pilot Enforcement Approach in MOM Cases in Region 4
- EPA's Report to Congress on Implementation and Enforcement of the CSO Control Policy
- Compliance and Enforcement Strategy Addressing Combined Sewer Overflows and Sanitary Sewer Overflows
- Enforcement Management System (EMS) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
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Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
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Citizen Suits (Section 505)
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Policy and Guidance Documents
Penalty Policies and Guidance
Emergency Authority (Section 1431)
Enforcement Response
- New Public Water System Supervision Program Settlement Penalty Policy
- UIC Program Judicial and Administrative Order Settlement Penalty Policy
- Internet Publications of Notice of Proposed Penalties under Section 309(g) and 311(b)(6) of the Clean Water Act and Section 1423(c) of the Safe Drinking Water Act
- Updated Guidance on Emergency Authority under SDWA Section 1431 - Guidance on invoking EPA’s emergency authority, granted under Section 1431 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. § 300i.
- Enforcement Response Policy under the Safe Drinking Water Act
- Section 2013 of America’s Water Infrastructure Act and Its Changes to Safe Drinking Water Act Section 1433: Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans Requirements for Community Water Systems (pdf)