National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Under the EPA's Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program controls and regulates water pollution via an operating permit requirement of point source discharges of surface water into our Nation's waterways.

Point sources of water pollution include industrial and municipal surface water discharges from pipes or manmade ditches. The NDPES program is administered by the States under authority granted to them by the EPA.

The NPDES permit program has been largely responsible for the major improvements that have taken place in our Nation's water quality.

Link - http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/

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