In what year was the Clean Water Act amended?

The Clean Water Act was amended in 1972, marking a significant milestone in environmental legislation. This amendment aimed to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and nonpoint source pollution, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and establishing the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to regulate discharges into waters of the United States.

The 1972 amendment not only expanded the federal government's role in water pollution control but also set ambitious goals for water quality improvement, including the aim of making all U.S. waters fishable and swimmable. This pivotal change laid the groundwork for subsequent actions and regulations to protect water resources, reflecting a growing environmental awareness during that era.