WATER QUALITY TRADING
WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted policies in 1997, 1998 and 2002 supporting
comprehensive watershed management planning to help cities deal effectively with non-point
source pollution to protect and preserve water supplies and water quality; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors seeks equitable regulatory policies for dealing with
water pollution within watersheds that assigns responsibility for pollution abatement or avoidance
commensurate with pollution contribution; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has suggested to Congress and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency that any regulations or policies adopted to control and reduce
watershed non-point pollution should be flexible and voluntary, and not necessarily require costly
controls when less costly controls may be appropriate and effective; and
WHEREAS, the nation's cities continue to have difficulty meeting water quality standards
because non-point sources of pollution, including, suburban, rural and agricultural land use
activities remain significant sources of water quality degradation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the
Water Quality Trading Policy proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a way to
encourage flexible and voluntary cooperative efforts between cities and other land use activities in
a watershed to reduce water quality impacts from non-point sources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon the President
and federal agencies, as well as Governors and state regulatory authorities to adopt water quality
trading policies consistent with the policy proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
©2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors 
