View Rule

On April 27, 2023, the EPA Administrator signed a proposed rule to establish water quality standards (WQS) for waters on Indian reservations that do not have WQS under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This rule will help advance President Biden’s commitment to strengthening the nation-to-nation relationships with Indian country. Fifty years after enactment of the CWA, over 80% of Indian reservations do not have this foundational CWA protection for their waters. Addressing this lack of CWA-effective WQS for the waters of more than 250 Indian reservations is a priority for EPA, given that WQS are central to implementing the water quality framework of the CWA. Promulgating baseline WQS provide more scientific rigor and regulatory certainty to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for discharges to these waters. Consistent with EPA’s regulations, the baseline WQS would include designated uses, water quality criteria to protect those uses, and antidegradation policies to protect high quality waters. EPA has consulted with tribes and will continue to do so.