An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Figure 14.3 Changes in Funding for Water Pollution Controls$8$7Billions of Dollars$6$5$4$3$2$1$019701975198019851990199520002005■ Direct Grants■ State Revolving FundsIn the last thirty years, there has been a fundamental shift in the way the federal governmentfunds the infrastructure for water pollution control in local communities. From 1970 to 1995,Congress, through EPA, provided $61.1 billion in direct grants to help build or upgrade wastewatertreatment facilities. However, since 1988, the federal government has increasingly providedfinancial support for these types of projects by making capitalization grants to the State RevolvingFunds, which provide low interest loans that are paid back into the fund to finance future projects.As of fiscal year 2004, the federal capitalization grants total about $22.4 billion, with statematching funds totaling about $4.5 billion.Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Progress in Water Quality: An Evaluation of the NationalInvestment in Municipal Wastewater Treatment. EPA-832-R-00-008. Washington, DC, June 2000.Major Point SourcesThe major point sources of pollution to the nation’s waterways include wastewater treatmentplants, sewer system overflows, septic systems, industrial facilities, and animal feedingoperations.Stormwater, which is formally classified as a point source, is grouped with nonpointsources in this chapter. Stormwater differs considerably from most industrial or urbanpoint sources and, like other nonpoint sources, is driven primarily by precipitation.Nevertheless, sewage and stormwater will need to be addressed together in making wastewatermanagement decisions.Wastewater Treatment PlantsMunicipal wastewater comes primarily from individual households and from manufacturingand commercial activities. Wastewater entering a treatment plant may containorganic pollutants, metals, nutrients, sediment, bacteria, viruses, and toxic substances.Wastewater treatment plants have substantially met their original goal of removing mostpathogens, organic materials, and suspended solids; however, nutrients and many chemicalsare not effectively removed through primary and secondary treatment processes.The effluent from treatment plants can be discharged directly into rivers, estuaries,coastal waters, or the ocean. Even discharges into waters far upstream can have seriousimpacts on the coast.Nutrient pollution has had a major impact on coastal waters, contributing to toxicalgal blooms, loss of seagrass habitat and coral reefs, and oxygen depletion. Unfortunately,primary and secondary wastewater treatment have not been effective in adequately removingnitrogen and phosphorus. In many heavily developed areas, wastewater treatment isunlikely to achieve nutrient-related standards and additional controls will be needed to208 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY