Environmental Policy: A Comprehensive Report on the Clean Water Act

This report provides an analysis of the Clean Water Act, examining its elements, economic effects, and recommendations. The report begins with an introduction to the Clean Water Act of 1972, highlighting its role in addressing water pollution and protecting water resources. It then delves into the various elements of the Act, including environmental strategies, control mechanisms, and economic instruments employed to safeguard water sources. The report discusses the economic benefits of the Act, such as investments in sanitation and water resource management, and its contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It also addresses the Act's objectives, which include ensuring United States waters are fishable and swimmable. The report also includes recommendations, such as improving sanitation and hygiene, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of the Clean Water Act in promoting a healthy economic environment and effective health interventions. References from sources like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of the Interior are included.

Running Head: ECONOMICS 1
Environmental Policy
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Introduction
In this paper, the chosen environment regulation is Clean Water Act in Montreal
protocol. The Clean Water Policy of 1972 refers to the regulatory act that is based on the original
pollution of water act officiated in 1948. This act was reorganized through addressing water
pollution from the discharge points of the nation’s integrity of water (Gohari et al, 2013). Water
pollution affect swimming, fishing and other activities. The standards of quality water were
established in order to bring about effluent limits, quality and degradation of habitats.
Elements of Clean Water Act
There are various elements of the clean water Act advocated by the government in
existence. These include;
Promoting of environmental strategies, control mechanism and application of economic
instruments to protect sources of water.
To form basic national programs of water management in order to protect ecology,
quality of life and water supply.
Furthermore, the clean water act streamlines the procedures of control, prevention and
pollution abatement about the city’s or nation’s water resources (Van Leeuwen et al, 2012).
Economic effects (Benefit –Cost evaluation) of the Regulation
There is emergence of investments in order to improve sanitation, hygiene and systems of
water resource management. This therefore improves on the nation’s economy since a single
dollar which is invested yields $8 in benefits. The regulation helps in achieving the Millennium

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Development Goals (water and sanitation) can be achieved and thus improving on the annual
investments of the country (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2015).
In addition, the human lives’ values have been saved as well as health care saving and
productivity of the economy. To establish the frameworks of the water quality management
through efficient delegation and proper coordination of activities in the policy formulation. In
addition, the major element of the Clean Water Act encourages ‘self-regulation’ among the
industries and citizens of the country.
When the Clean Water Act or regulation is efficiently put in place, different classes of
beneficiaries are involved. The citizens of the country more especially in cities benefit through
taking safe drinking water which improves on their lives (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2015).
Most significant is that, the regulation helps, the government through implementation of other
related quality water programs, eradication of poor exposures especially from manufacturing
industries which emit fumes to the water bodies.
Although the policy of Clean Water Act has been intentioned well, several studies made
it clear that it is the initiation of the public policy making flaw. The failure of the implementation
of the regulatory body sometimes is attributed from the political chaos, this in turn makes the
citizens of the country to suffer from the negative side of water sources (World Water Council,
2015). Another critic of the control policy is that, the Clean Water Act mostly based on the
control neglecting the ideology of prevention. The federal Act would have focused on putting
more effects in preventing endangering water sources than controlling what has already
happened.

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Objectives of the Regulation
The philosophy of regulation involved in the Clean Water Act can be regarded as the
command control or enforcements and standards. Currently, the regulatory board of water does
not wait for the go ahead from the federal government since it has got its own objectives.
However, the congress introduces agency called the Environment Protection Agency which
strengthens the policy formulation about water Act. The fundamental responsibility about
implementing the goals of ensuring United States waters to become more ‘fishable and
swimmable’ (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013). The successful
introduction of congresses about Marine Protection, sanctuaries and Research which is called
Ocean Damping act. All these are established to create quality waters free from pollutants and
bad fumes.
Recommendation Measures
The efforts of improving sanitation, hygiene and water interact with one another in order
to boost overall health of the individuals. More so, accessibility of sanitation especially latrines
in societies that prevents the contamination of drinking water emanating from human waste
(Siems et al, 2013)
High technological public measure of heath that are not put into consideration, most of
the people forget to create drinking water storage.
The management of environment lowers the levels of disease which emanate from
stagnant waters, the measures should be implemented through eliminating habitats and breeding
grounds of mosquitoes.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, the policy implementation of Clean Water Act has been considered successful as
its objectives set are gradually achieved. Water is considered as the vital to human life. It is
evident that, all most 2.2 billion people do not get access to safe drinking water and 4.5 billion
individuals lack proper sanitation services. It is clear that the introduction of Clean Water Act
has led to the reduction water related diseases to the human lives. Therefore, Clean Water in US
promotes good economical environment and cost effective interventions of health.

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References
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2013). Water Scarcity. Retrived from:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ce-Cr/Clean-Water-Act.html
Gohari, A., Eslamian, S., Mirchi, A., Abedi-Koupaei, J., Bavani, A. M., & Madani, K. (2013).
Water transfer as a solution to water shortage: a fix that can backfire. Journal of
Hydrology, 491, 23-39.
Siems, R., Sahin, O., Talebpour, M. R., Stewart, R., & Hopewell, M. (2013). Energy intensity of
decentralized water supply systems utilized in addressing water shortages. In European
Water Resources Association 8th International Conference (pp. 26-29).
U.S. Department of the Interior (2015). Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West.
Retrieved from: https://www.123helpme.com/search.asp?text=clean+water+act
Van Leeuwen, C. J., Frijns, J., van Wezel, A., & van de Ven, F. H. (2012). City blueprints: 24
indicators to assess the sustainability of the urban water cycle. Water resources
management, 26(8), 2177-2197.
World Water Council (2015). Water Crisis.retrieved from: http://panmore.com/water-supply-
shortage-human-impact-public-health

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