Office of Water (OW)

Office of Water (OW)
Name	Office of Water (OW)
Formed	1970s
Jurisdiction	United States Environmental Protection Agency
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Parent agency	Environmental Protection Agency
Chief1 name	(Director)
Website	(EPA)

Contents

Office of Water (OW) The Office of Water (OW) is a component of the Environmental Protection Agency responsible for protecting and restoring the United States's surface and groundwater resources, administering major statutes and programs originating from landmark laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. OW develops national standards, issues permits, and provides technical assistance and funding that intersect with federal agencies like the Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. OW’s work connects to regional entities including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the California State Water Resources Control Board, and international agreements involving the United States–Mexico Border Program.

Overview

OW administers regulatory frameworks derived from statutes including the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972. It implements permit programs such as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and sets criteria under the Water Quality Standards regulation. OW partners with agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation to address issues spanning the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and coastal concerns in regions like the Gulf of Mexico and the Puget Sound.

OW traces origins to federal responses to mid-20th-century pollution crises catalyzed by incidents such as the [Cuyahoga River fire] and legislative milestones exemplified by the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. Over decades OW’s role expanded through amendments like the Water Quality Act of 1987 and court decisions including holdings from the Supreme Court of the United States in cases affecting jurisdictional reach, analogous to disputes in Rapanos v. United States and Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Administrative shifts occurred across presidential administrations including those of Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, each influencing rulemaking, enforcement priorities, and collaborations with entities such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

OW is organized into program offices and regional liaisons that coordinate with the EPA’s ten regional offices, including EPA Region 1 (Boston), EPA Region 2 (New York), and EPA Region 9 (San Francisco), among others. Leadership includes a Director and Deputy Directors who interact with Congressional committees like the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce. OW collaborates with state primacy agencies such as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and municipal utilities like Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and consults scientific bodies including the United States Geological Survey and university research centers such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Major OW programs include administration of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, oversight of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, support for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and development of criteria for contaminants including those listed under the Contaminant Candidate List. Targeted initiatives address harmful algal blooms in the Lake Erie and Florida Everglades, restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and resilience planning for events like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. OW’s technical guidance informs wastewater treatment practices used by utilities such as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and stormwater management programs in cities like Seattle and Philadelphia.

OW promulgates regulations, issues guidance memoranda, and enforces civil administrative actions under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. It develops water quality criteria, implements nutrient reduction strategies tied to interstate compacts like agreements in the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Colorado River Compact, and addresses cross-border water issues involving the International Boundary and Water Commission. Rulemaking often follows scientific assessments from institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is subject to review by entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office.

OW administers grant and loan programs including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, leveraging appropriations from Congress and partnering with financial institutions and organizations like the Environmental Finance Center network and the World Bank on international knowledge exchange. OW coordinates funding priorities with federal agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, and Federal Emergency Management Agency for projects ranging from watershed restoration in the Mississippi River Basin to infrastructure resilience initiatives in the Atlantic Coast. Collaboration extends to non-governmental partners such as the Nature Conservancy, the American Water Works Association, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

OW’s actions have been subject to debate over issues such as scope of jurisdiction as litigated in cases like Rapanos v. United States, regulatory rollbacks under certain administrations affecting rules akin to the Waters of the United States definition, and enforcement discretion controversies examined by the Government Accountability Office. Stakeholders including state agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, industry groups such as the American Petroleum Institute, and environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council have disputed policy choices. Funding constraints and infrastructure backlogs highlighted after events such as the Flint water crisis and contamination incidents involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have prompted bipartisan legislative responses in the United States Congress and scrutiny from oversight bodies including the Office of Inspector General (Department of Health and Human Services) and the Office of Inspector General (Environmental Protection Agency).