| Ensuring society's access to safe, clean water has been a major concern for governments through time immemorial. Though water and sewerage in the United States was formerly the province of state governments, greater federal involvement in water pollution control began with the Water Quality Act of 1965. In 1972, Public Law 92-500, known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, was enacted and became a landmark legislation in terms of federal involvement in the issue of clean water.; This study reflects on the role of government and on society's ability to enjoy clean water. The inquiry is directed at understanding whether or not local governments have internalized federal environmental goals, and why local government agencies comply with the Clean Water Act. The study draws from the concepts of intergovernmental relations and policy implementation theory, and relies on multiple data sources, including newspaper articles, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports, minutes of meetings by local government, interviews, and others.; My findings show that local governments will tend to follow an agenda of their own making, although compliance with the statute remains important, especially for local agencies that hold a liability to the EPA through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. An important factor in local governments' compliance is the action of program specialists who weave alliances similar to Hjern and Porter's “implementation structures” with officials at the local level from other cities as well as other groups. |
