Concerns for water quality were expressed frequently during the 1995 work group process in Northwest Indiana. Because the need for clean water is pervasive to modern society, there are also a multitude of laws and programs intended to protect our waters from pollution. A difficulty in seeking to address water quality concerns is that the magnitude of those concerns may require a national or even multinational response.

On the other hand, there are possibilities for action on a more modest scale. Municipalities and counties can develop or enhance the authorities and mechanisms for local boards to address stormwater management. A new emphasis might be placed on educational efforts to citizens for the disposal of household wastes and the application of pesticides and fertilizers. Standards might be developed to measure contamination levels of dredged sediments, promoting a less cumbersome and expensive permitting process. An initiative might seek to better understand, and communicate to the public, those legal authorities and requirements which apply to sanitary water, gray water, and ballast water which are disposed from vessels.