Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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water quality

USDA announces new effort to improve water quality and public health in low-income communities in the Southwest

Posted Wed, 2012/07/25 - 3:03pm by RCAP

WASHINGTON (USDA) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 24 that low-income rural areas will benefit from changes in the way USDA funds water and wastewater projects. Rural Development Acting Deputy Under Secretary Judith Canales made the announcement on Vilsack's behalf while she toured the wastewater treatment system in the City of Peñitas, Texas.

EPA Virtual Academy webinar: Water-Quality Standards 101

Posted Mon, 2012/07/23 - 10:33am by RCAP

Join EPA for the first Water-Quality Standards Virtual Academy webinar: “Water Quality Standards 101.”  Water-quality standards are the foundation of the water-quality-based pollution control program mandated by the Clean Water Act. Water-quality standards define the goals for a waterbody by designating its uses, setting criteria to protect those uses, and establishing provisions such as antidegradation policies to protect water bodies from pollutants.

EPA updates online water-quality standards guidance

Posted Tue, 2012/05/15 - 10:46am by RCAP

EPA has updated the online version of its water-quality standards handbook to make it more user-friendly and improve transparency by providing links to EPA’s most recent policy documents. The handbook is a compilation of EPA's guidance on the water-quality standards program and provides direction for states, territories and authorized tribes in reviewing, revising and implementing water-quality standards.