What We Do

The Office of Water (OW) ensures drinking water is safe, and restores and maintains oceans, watersheds, and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities, and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants and wildlife.

OW is responsible for implementing the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and portions of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Ocean Dumping Ban Act, Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, Shore Protection Act, Marine Plastics Pollution Research and Control Act, London Dumping Convention, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and several other statutes.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Office of Water works with the ten EPA regional offices, other federal agencies, state and local governments, American Indian tribes, the regulated community, organized professional and interest groups, land owners and managers, and the public-at-large. OW provides guidance, specifies scientific methods and data collection requirements, performs oversight and facilitates communication among those involved. OW helps the states and American Indian tribes to build capacity, and water programs can be delegated to them for implementation.

Documents Related to Our Mission

You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

• EPA Strategic Plan
• National Water Program Guidance
• National Water Program Performance, Trends and Best Practices Report

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Organization

The Office of Water includes:

• Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator for Water
• Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
• Office of Science and Technology
• Office of Wastewater Management
• Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator for Water (IO)

What We Do

Under the direction of the Assistant Administrator, the Immediate Office performs a variety of policy, communications, resources management, and operational functions for managing the National Water Program. The IO also works on broad or emerging issues in coordination with its program offices and other parts of EPA.

IO Organization

Dave Ross, Assistant Administrator 

• Phone: (202) 564-5700
• Email: ross.davidp@epa.gov
• Biography
• Mail code: 4101M | EPA mailing addresses

Dennis Lee Forsgren, Jr.,  Deputy Assistant Administrator 

• Phone: (202) 564-5700
• Email: forsgren.lee@epa.gov
• Mail code: 4101M | EPA mailing addresses

Anna Wildeman, Deputy Assistant Administrator 

• Phone: (202) 564-5700
• Email: wildeman.anna@epa.gov
• Mail code: 4101M | EPA mailing addresses

Benita Best-Wong, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator 

• Phone: (202) 564-5700
• Email: best-wong.benita@epa.gov
• Mail code: 4101M | EPA mailing addresses

Dr. Owen McDonough, Senior Science Advisor

• Phone: (202) 564-5700
• Email: mcdonough.owen@epa.gov
• Mail code: 4101M | EPA mailing addresses

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Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW)

What We Do

OGWDW, together with states, tribes, and our many partners, protects public health by ensuring safe drinking water and protecting ground water. We oversee implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. We

• develop and help implement national drinking water standards;
• oversee and assist funding of state drinking water programs and source water protection programs;
• help small drinking water systems;
• protect underground sources of drinking water through the Underground Injection Control Program; and
• provide information about drinking water quality to the public.

Programs and Projects Managed by OGWDW

• Drinking Water Contaminants
• Drinking Water Basics
• Drinking Water Standards
• Public Drinking Water Systems
• Small Public Drinking Water Systems
• Source Water Protection
• Sustainable Infrastructure
• Underground Injection Control
• Water Security
• Private Drinking Water Wells

Mail code: 4601M | EPA mailing addresses
Location: EPA Headquarters at Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle campus
202-564-3750

OGWDW Organization

Peter C. Grevatt, Director

• Phone: 202-564-8954
• Email: grevatt.peter@epa.gov

Jennifer McLain, Deputy Director

• Phone: 202-564-4029
• Email: mclain.jennifer@epa.gov

The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water includes:

• Standards and Risk Management Division
  Eric Burneson, Director
  • Phone: 202-564-5250
  • Email: burneson.eric@epa.gov
• Drinking Water Protection Division
  Anita Maria Thompkins, Director
  • Phone: 202-564-3751
  • Email: thompkins.anita@epa.gov
• Water Security Division
  David Travers, Director
  • Phone: 202-564-4638
  • Email: travers.david@epa.gov

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Office of Science and Technology (OST)

What We Do

OST works with states, tribes, and other stakeholders to develop recommended safe water quality levels for toxics, nutrients, and pathogens to help ensure our nation's waters can be used for fishing, swimming, and drinking water. OST also develops national economically and technologically achievable performance standards to address water pollution from industry.  

Programs managed by OST

• Analytical Methods to Assess Wastewater
• Beaches
• Biosolids
• Cooling Water Intakes
• Drinking Water Contaminant Human Health Effects Information
• Fish and Shellfish Advisories
• Industrial Effluent Guidelines
• Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data
• Water Quality Standards
• Water Quality Criteria

Mail code: 4301M | EPA mailing addresses
Location: EPA Headquarters at Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle campus
202-566-0430
ost.comments@epa.gov

OST Organization

Deborah Nagle, Acting Director 

• Phone: 202-566-0430
• Email: Nagle.Deborah@epa.gov

Jeff Lape, Deputy Director 

• Phone: 202-566-0430
• Email: lape.jeff@epa.gov

The Office of Science and Technology includes:

• Engineering and Analysis Division
  Rob Wood, Director
  • Phone: 202-566-1822
  • Email: wood.robert@epa.gov
• Standards and Health Protection Division
  Sara Hisel-McCoy, Director
  • Phone: 202-566-1649
  • Email: hisel-mccoy.sara@epa.gov
• Health and Ecological Criteria Division
  Betsy Behl, Director
  • Phone: 202-566-0788
  • Email: behl.betsy@epa.gov

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Office of Wastewater Management (OWM)

What We Do

OWM supports the Clean Water Act by promoting effective and responsible water use, wastewater treatment, disposal and management and by encouraging the protection and restoration of watersheds. We provide regulatory standards, voluntary management approaches, and financial and technical assistance to states, tribes, communities, and regulated entities to protect human health and aquatic ecosystems, reduce flooding, and protect the nation’s infrastructure investment.

View OWM's Annual Reports.

Programs and Projects Managed by OWM

• Animal Feeding Operations
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• Clean Watersheds Needs Survey
• Combined Sewer Overflows and Sanitary Sewer Overflows
• Green Infrastructure
• Permits - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
• Septic Systems (Onsite/Decentralized)
• Small, Rural, and Tribal Wastewater Systems
• Stormwater Management
• Sustainable Water Infrastructure
• U.S./Mexico Border Water Infrastructure
• Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center
• Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
• Water Pollution Control (Section 106) Grants
• WaterSense Program

Mail code: 4201M | EPA mailing addresses
Location: EPA Headquarters at Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle campus
202-564-0748

OWM Organization

Andrew Sawyers, Director 

• Phone: 202-564-0748
• Email: sawyers.andrew@epa.gov

Martha Shimkin, Acting Deputy Director

• Phone: 202-564-1573
• Email: shimkin.martha@epa.gov

The Office of Wastewater Management includes:

• Water Infrastructure Division
  Raffael Stein, Director
  • Phone: 202-564-5385
  • Email: stein.raffael@epa.gov
• Water Permits Division
  Sally Gutierrez,  Acting Director
  • Phone: 202-564-9545
  • Email: gutierrez.sally@epa.gov

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Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW)

What We Do

OWOW works to protect our freshwater, estuarine, coastal and ocean ecosystems, including watersheds and wetlands. We regulate and monitor ocean dumping and vessel discharges, and reduce aquatic trash and marine debris. We protect water quality and habitats in 28 estuaries around the nation. We control polluted runoff and restore impaired waters.

View OWOW's Annual Reports.

Programs and Projects Managed by OWOW

• Climate Ready Estuaries
• Healthy Watersheds Program
• Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
• Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force
• Monitoring Water Quality
• National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)
• National Estuary Program
• Nutrient Pollution
• Ocean Discharge Criteria
• Ocean Dumping Management
• Polluted Runoff: Nonpoint Source Pollution
• Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
• Vessels, Marinas and Ports
• WATERS (Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results) Databases
• Watershed Academy
• Wetlands Protection and Restoration

Mail code: 4501T | EPA mailing addresses
Location: EPA Headquarters at Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle campus
202-566-1146
ow-owow-internet-comments@epa.gov

OWOW Organization

John Goodin, Acting Director

• Phone: 202-566-1373
• Email: Goodin.John@epa.gov

Sandra Connors, Deputy Director

• Phone: 202-564-2231
• Email: Connors.Sandra@epa.gov

The Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds includes:

• Watershed Restoration, Assessment, and Protection Division
  Tom Wall, Director
  • Phone: 202-564-4179
  • Email: wall.tom@epa.gov
• Oceans, Wetlands, and Communities Division
  Brian Frazer, Acting Director
  • Phone: 202-566-1652
  • Email: frazer.brian@epa.gov
• Planning, Communications, and Resource Management Division
  Barbara Chancey, Director
  • Phone: 202-566-0332
  • Email: chancey.barbara@epa.gov

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