Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) (Renewal)

The Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) is required by Clean Water Act (CWA) Sections 205(a) and 516. It is a periodic inventory of existing and planned publicly owned wastewater conveyance and treatment facilities, combined sewer overflow correction, stormwater management and other water pollution control facilities in the United States, as well as an estimate of how many of these facilities need to be built. The CWNS is a joint effort between EPA and the states. The CWNS collects cost and technical data from states that are associated with publicly owned treatment works and other water pollution control facilities, existing and planned. The respondents who provide this information to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) are state agencies responsible for environmental pollution control and local facility contacts who provide documentation to the states. Periodically, the states request data or documentation from contacts at the facility or local government level. These respondents are referred to as facilities. No confidential information is used, nor is sensitive information protected from release under the Public Information Act. EPA achieves national consistency in the final results through the application of uniform guidelines and validation techniques.

The latest form for Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) (Renewal) expires 2029-03-31 and can be found here.

States & Territories

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Environmental Management - Pollution Prevention and Control