The 208 Planning Approach to Ground‐Water Protection — A Program Overview a

ABSTRACT Ground‐water protection is one of the water quality management priorities that Section 208 planning is addressing. Examples are derived from the experiences of selected 208 planning agencies, among them Nassau‐Suffolk Regional Planning Board (NY), Old Colony Planning Council (MA), and Ventura Regional County Sanitation District (CA). These agencies have used 208 funds to identify problems such as salt‐water intrusion and contamination from storm runoff. Through ground‐water studies, each assessed the extent of the problems and used their analysis to produce protection and control recommendations. Section 208 requires that designated State and area‐wide agencies plan for ongoing water quality management to meet the 1983 goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's water. The Section, which originated with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, contains the only extant provision for nonpoint source pollution control. Opportunities for integration of 208 with other Clean Water Act programs as well as with programs established under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act are now being explored as a means of increasing water quality management efficiency and quality.