What clean water regulation do you think has had the greatest impact on water quality in the United States? In a 3–5 sentences, explain and justify your opinion..

In my opinion, the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 has had the greatest impact on water quality in the United States. The CWA established a comprehensive regulatory framework to control and prevent water pollution, setting standards for discharges into water bodies and requiring the use of pollution control technologies. It also established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to regulate point source pollution. The CWA has been instrumental in reducing pollution levels in rivers, lakes, and streams by addressing both industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, leading to significant improvements in water quality across the country.

use simpler terms

I believe the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 has had the biggest impact on water quality in the United States. The CWA created rules to control and prevent water pollution, like setting standards for what can be released into water and requiring pollution control technology to be used. It also made a system to regulate pollution from specific sources. The CWA has helped make rivers, lakes, and streams cleaner by reducing pollution from factories and cities, which has made a big difference in water quality all over the country.