Clean Water Policy and State Choice
Promise and Performance in the Water Quality Act

This book examines the US Water Quality Act to determine state choice in water infrastructure policy, for researchers and policymakers.

John C. Morris (Author)

9781108839129, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 March 2022

350 pages
25.1 x 17.5 x 2.1 cm, 0.678 kg

'For those with interests in water infrastructure policy and federalism, I encourage you to become familiar with Dr. John C. Morris's new book.' John A. Hoornbeek, Publius: The Journal of Federalism

The Water Quality Act of 1987 ushered in a new era of clean water policy to the US. The Act stands today as the longest-lived example of national water quality policy. It included a then-revolutionary funding model for wastewater infrastructure - the Clean Water State Revolving Fund - which gave states much greater authority to allocate clean water infrastructure resources. Significant differences between states exist in terms of their ability to provide adequate resources for the program, as well as their ability (or willingness) to meet the wishes of Congress to serve environmental needs and communities. This book examines the patterns of state program resource distribution using case studies and analysis of state and national program data. This book is important for researchers from a range of disciplines, including water, environmental and infrastructure policy, federalism/intergovernmental relations, intergovernmental administration, and natural resource management, as well as policy makers and policy advocates.

1. Setting the Stage: Clean Water, Federal Policy Goals, and State Choice
2. Reagan Federalism, States' Rights, and the Revolving Loan Fund Model
3. The Foundations of Water Quality Policy in the United States
4. Expansion and Contraction in the Federal Role in Water Policy
5. Features of the Water Quality Act of 1987
6. A Model of State Implementation of the Water Quality Act of 1987
7. Initial State Implementation of the Revolving Loan Fund Model
8. Implementation “On the Ground”: Four Case Studies
9. The Distributional Impacts of the CWSRF: A National Analysis
10. Promise and Performance: State Choice and National Water Quality Goals
Appendices
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Hydrology & the hydrosphere [RBK], Environment law [LNKJ], International environmental law [LBBP]