The Total Maximum Daily Load, or clean water plan, is a science-based approach to cleaning up polluted water so that it meets state water quality standards. A TMDL is a numerical value representing the highest amount of a pollutant a surface water body can receive and still meet the standards.

The federal Clean Water Act requires states, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to develop a TMDL for each water body on the state’s polluted waters list, also known as the 303(d) list (Integrated Report). The TMDL process is just one strategy used to clean up polluted waters.

The City of Tangent works to comply with TMDL and provides the following information to empower everyone to make a positive difference.