Final answer:
The Clean Water Act does indeed require wastewater treatment plants to achieve greater than or equal to 85% removal of TSS and BOD, which is true.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the effectiveness of wastewater treatment as mandated by the Clean Water Act. The statement is true; the Clean Water Act requires wastewater treatment plants to achieve a removal efficiency of greater than or equal to 85% for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). This is part of the secondary treatment process where aerobic bacterial decomposition of organic solids takes place.
If you analyzed wastewater directly after primary treatment, you would notice that much of the dissolved solids have been removed, but harmful bacteria and other biological agents may not have been entirely eliminated at this stage. The primary treatment includes processes like screening and settling to remove physical solids, fats, and greases from the wastewater.
It's important to note that wastewater treatment facilities, such as those regulated under the Clean Water Act, remove many contaminants from wastewater before the water is released back into the natural environment. These treatments include various stages like primary, secondary, and often tertiary treatments to ensure that the water meets the safety standards set by environmental regulations.