More than 30 years after the Clean Water Act promised clean water, an overwhelming majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a polluted river, lake, or coastal water.  These waterways are unsafe for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.  

Luckily, the Clean Water Act’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program offers a solution.  The program requires that states and EPA identify rivers, lakes and coastal waters that remain polluted and then develop a cleanup plan for each waterbody.