Water Quality Research Needs for Texas.

The data gaps and information needs for water quality issues in Texas are diverse and expanding. The focal points for research are partly defined by the rapid evolution of national and state policy and regulatory imperatives. As a result, water quality legislation, policy, and regulation have sometimes outdistanced the available information on pollutant impacts and the available techniques for waste treatment, minimization, and remediation. Much of the acceleration in water quality regulatory policy is driven by the Federal Clean Water Act, which has required and scheduled the evolving water-quality based approach in addition to the ongoing technology-based treatment requirements. The relatively complex water-quality based approach focuses on establishing and maintaining instream water quality standards for both toxic and conventional pollutants.