In the United States, the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) mandates all states to adopt water quality standards that would define how much of pollutants can be in the water such that it might meet the minimum threshold for water, fishing and swimming, and other beneficial uses. In Minnesota, once the water quality is assessed to be below the prescribed rate —they are automatically included in the Impaired Waters List being managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), which is defined as the “the maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive without violating water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant’s sources” is then developed. The TMDL process commences via identification of all sources of pollutants and a scientific determination of how much each source must reduce its contribution in order to meet the standard.

Lamentillo, A. M. Y. (2019, February 23). Manila Bay can be saved. Manila Bulletin, p. 12.