C-SAW is a national project of the Earth Island Institute (EII), dedicated to closing loopholes in federal and state water pollution regulations that allow millions of gallons of polluted wastes to be dumped into public waters every day.

Many of these polluted wastestreams are "legally permitted" through the application of discretionary "implementation policies": rules that allow regulators to modify or circumvent the normal restrictions (Water Quality Standards) on waste dumping intended to protect public health and the aquatic environment.

Mission

C-SAW's mission is to protect and maintain the beneficial uses of public waters; all U.S. waters should be "swimmable and fishable."

Background

C-SAW's goal is to prevent the degradation of public waters by challenging the implementation of weak state and federal standards and regulations. The Clean Water Act provides strong direction to federal and state agencies authorized to permit the release of polluted discharges into public waters, however, too often the regulations written to implement the Act fall far short of the Act's original intent.

A principal focus for C-SAW since 1998 has been challenging the use of mixing zones, i.e., pollution-dilution zones, which are authorized in thousands of permits nationwide. Mixing zones are portions of waters adjacent to discharge pipes within which polluters are not required to meet the water quality standards adopted to protect human health and aquatic life. When standards are not met, uses are not protected.