ABSTRACT
The fundamental task with respect to water quality improvement is how best to accomplish it. But it is also true that the task itself needs to be clearly defined. The job is not simply to "clean up" the nation's water bodies; rather, it is to manage continuously the quality of these waters over time in the dynamic context of a growing and affluent urban-industrial society. This dynamic context requires flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances if efficient management is to be achieved, which in turn has implications for the nature of the institutions needed for water quality management. 1
