Which section governs the development of water quality standards?

• A. Section 303.
• B. Section 402.
• C. Section 401.
• D. Section 404.

Answer: (A)

Water quality standards are created by states under the provision that gives states the authority to adopt and revise those standards, with the federal agency reviewing and approving them. This means designated uses for each water body, the criteria to protect those uses, and the anti-degradation policy are all established by the state and then subjected to federal review. It’s the part of the Clean Water Act that focuses on setting and approving standards, rather than on permitting or regulating specific activities. The other sections govern what happens after standards exist—permits for discharges, state certification of federally permitted activities, and dredge-and-fill approvals—so they don’t govern how the standards themselves are developed.