Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality

Joseph Shapiro and David Keiser A.
Additional contact information
David Keiser A.: Iowa State University & NBER

No 2070, Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers from Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University

Abstract: Since the 1972 U.S. Clean Water Act, government and industry have invested over $1 trillion to abate water pollution, or $100 per person-year. Over half of U.S. stream and river miles, however, still violate pollution standards. We use the most comprehensive set of files ever compiled on water pollution and its determinants, including 50 million pollution readings from 170,000 monitoring sites, to study water pollution�s trends, causes, and welfare consequences. We have three main findings. First, water pollution concentrations have fallen substantially since 1972, though were declining at faster rates before then. Second, the Clean Water Act�s grants to municipal wastewater treatment plants caused some of these declines. Third, the grants� estimated effects on housing values are generally smaller than the grants� costs.

Keywords: Clean Water Act; Pollution regulation; Water quality; Cost benefit analysis; Cost effectiveness analysis; Hedonic models; Fiscal federalism; Infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H23 H54 H70 Q50 R31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 90 pages
Date: 2017-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-his and nep-reg
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality (2019)
Working Paper: Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality (2018)
Working Paper: Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality (2017)
Working Paper: Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality (2017)
Working Paper: Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand for Water Quality (2016)
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