IV-506 



Technology exists to provide thorough treatment for nearly every kind 

 of municipal and industrial waste, and there is no reason not to provide 

 treatment sufficient to protect the environment from damage and to 

 permit other uses. Treatment requirements for different wastes may 

 vary from place to place according to local conditions, but damage to 

 the environment and restriction of other uses can be prevented. 



Water quality standards have been set and are now being implemented in 

 all the coastal states. These standards are the foundation upon which 

 the effective control of estuarine pollution rests, and they provide 

 the framework within which technical management can effectively operate. 



As pointed out earlier in this chapter, however, estuarine waters even 

 in busy harbors are used for recreational purposes by those who cannot 

 afford to go elsewhere, regardless of whether the waters are safe for 

 body contact or not. Also the role of the estuarine zone as a nursery 

 for some fish, passage for others, and a residence for still more is 

 readily apparent although its full implications in the energy conversion 

 chain are not understood. For these reasons the water quality goal of 

 estuarine management should be to keep all waters safe for direct 

 contact by humans and also usable as a fish and wildlife habitat. 



