The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission

Abstract

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an interstate compact water pollution control commission created jointly in 1948 by eight states (Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) with the approval of the U.S. Congress (Figure 1). The mission of ORSANCO, as provided in the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact, is to regulate activities in the rivers, streams, and waters of the Compact district (i.e., the Ohio River Basin as it exists within the eight signatory states) to mitigate existing and future surface water pollution. The Ohio River is an important natural resource in many regards. Along its 981-mi (1579-km) length, it provides habitat for more than 120 species of fish and facilitates the transport of 200+ million tons of goods per year. In addition, more than 5 million people rely on the Ohio River as their drinking water supply. Figure 1 Location of the Ohio River Basin in the Midwestern United States. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) Compact District includes a majority of the basin and has eight member states (area of the blue shading). The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, in consonance with its mission and the broad powers granted to it under the Compact, operates programs to improve surface water quality in the Ohio River and its tributaries, such as the …