The
Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary
federal law in the
United States governing
water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands. It is one of the United States' first and most influential modern
environmental laws. As with many other major
U.S. federal environmental statutes, it is administered by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with state governments. Its implementing regulations are codified at
40 C.F.R. Subchapters D, N, and O (Parts 100-140, 401-471, and 501-503).