Clean Water Act (CWA)

Overview

The Clean Water Act (CWA) regulates discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulates water quality standards for surface water.

Under the CWA it is unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters without a permit. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) issues permits to industrial, municipal, and other facilities that discharge directly to surface waters.

EPA publishes laboratory analytical methods, or test procedures, that must be used by industries and municipalities to analyze regulated pollutants in wastewater and other environmental samples. Most of these methods are published as regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Title 40 Part 136.

EPA Approved Methods for the Analysis of Multiple Metals in Waste Water

Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
EPA 200.5	ICP Axial	ICPE-9800
EPA 200.7	ICP Radial Axial allowed at Part 136.6	ICPE-9800
EPA 200.8	ICPMS Collision cells allowed at Part 136.6	ICPMS-2040/2050
EPA 200.9	GFAAS	AA-7800

EPA approved Methods for Anions and in Waste Water

Anions	Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
Cyanide	Standard Methods 4500 CN	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280
Nitrate	Standard Methods 4500 NO3	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280
Nitrite	Standard Methods 4500 NO2	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280
Phosphate	Standard Methods 4500 P	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280
Phenolics	EPA 420.1	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280
Sulfate	Standard Methods 4500 SO4	Manual Spectrophotometry	UV-1280

EPA Approved Methods for Organics in Waste Water

Contaminant Group	Method	Instrumental Technique	Shimadzu Model
Volatiles	EPA 624	Purge & Trap GCMS (See Part 136.6 for allowed Flexibility)	GCMS-QP2010SE with EST
Volatiles	EPA 1624B	Purge & Trap isotope dilution GCMS	GCMS-QP2010SE with EST
Semi volatiles	EPA 625	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GCMS	GCMS-QP2010SE or GCMS-QP2020
Semi volatiles	EPA 1625B	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection Isotope Dilution GCMS	GCMS-QP2010SE or GCMS-QP2020
Dioxins	EPA 1613 modified	Solvent Extraction direct injection HRGC/HRMS	GCMS-TQ8040 Screening only not for compliance testing
Organochlorine Pesticides and PCBs	EPA 608	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with ECD	GC-2030
Organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides	EPA 507	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with NPD	GC-2030
Organophosphorus Pesticides	EPA 614	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with FPD	GC-2030
Organophosphorus Pesticides	EPA 622	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with NPD	GC-2030
Triazine pesticides	EPA 619	Liquid-Liquid Extraction Direct Injection GC with NPD	GC-2030
Chlorinated Acids (Herbicides)	EPA 615	Liquid-Liquid Extraction, Derivatization and GC with ECD	GC-2010 Plus with ECD