EPA Office of Water: Careers That Make a Difference

Who Are We?

We are a diverse group of professionals committed to restoring, protecting and
preserving the nation’s waters as:

• Healthy, sustainable ecological systems.
• Recreational resources.
• Sources of food and drinking water.

We are scientists, engineers, statisticians, IT specialists, attorneys, communications specialists, economists, toxicologists, budget analysts, and personnel specialists.

We came from all over the country to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

What Do We Do?

• Protect over 3 million miles of rivers and streams; over 40 million acres of lakes, over 87,000 square miles of estuaries; 95,000 miles of coastal waters; and marine waters.
• Develop national programs, policies, and regulations relating to drinking water, water quality, groundwater, water conservation and water security.
• Develop criteria and standards for evaluating water quality.
• Collaborate with state, local and tribal governments, environmental groups, industry and others
• Provide technical assistance and technology transfer programs.
• Offer training in water quality, economic, and long-term environmental analysis.
  

What Are We Trying to Accomplish?

With the help of States, Tribes and other partners, EPA expects to make significant progress toward protecting human health and improving water quality by 2008 including:

• Water Safe to Drink: increase the rate of compliance with drinking water standards from 93% to 95%;
• Fish and Shellfish Safe to Eat: reduce pollution in waters with fish advisories so that consumption limits can be relaxed for 3% of problem waters while increasing the percentage of shellfishing acres that are approved for use from 77 to 85%;
• Water Safe for Swimming: restore polluted waters to allow swimming again in at least 5% of the waters where swimming is now unsafe;
• Healthy Watersheds: restore polluted waters so that, of the 2,262 major watersheds across the Nation, at least 600 have few remaining problems (i.e., at least 80% of assessed waters meet State water quality standards);
• Healthy Coastal Waters: show steady improvement in seven specific indicators of the health of each of the four major coastal ecosystems around the country; and
• More Wetlands: achieve a net increase of 400,000 acres of wetlands. Over the next five years, restore, preserve, and protect 3 million acres of wetlands.