EPA has released a set of maps that depict the waters within each state that do not meet state water quality standards. States listed these waters in their most recent submission to EPA, generally in 1998, as required by section 303(d)of the Clean Water Act under the Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL program. There are more than 20,000 such waters identified nationally, comprising more than 300,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 5 million acres of lakes. The map reveals that the majority of Americans--over 218 million--live within ten miles of a polluted waterbody.

Each state map includes a bar chart of the combined number of miles of streams, rivers, and coastal shoreline or acres of lakes, estuaries and wetlands that do not meet state standards, and the pollutant that is causing the impairment. The pollutants most frequently identified as causing water pollution include sediments, excess nutrients, and harmful pathogens. Toxins, including metals, mercury and pesticides, also contribute to these impairments.
 

To view the atlas, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/atlas/ on the Internet.