text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Water Protection Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON SEWAGE DUMPING INTO THE GREAT LAKES.
  
      Section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
  1342) is amended by adding at the end the following:
      ``(r) Prohibition on Sewage Dumping Into the Great Lakes.--
              ``(1) In general.--A publicly owned treatment works is 
          prohibited from intentionally diverting waste streams to bypass 
          any portion of a treatment facility at the treatment works if 
          the diversion results in a discharge into the Great Lakes 
          unless--
                      ``(A)(i) the bypass is unavoidable to prevent loss 
                  of life, personal injury, or severe property damage;
                      ``(ii) there is not a feasible alternative to the 
                  bypass, such as the use of auxiliary treatment 
                  facilities, retention of untreated wastes, or 
                  maintenance during normal periods of equipment 
                  downtime; and
                      ``(iii) the treatment works provides notice of the 
                  bypass in accordance with the requirements of this 
                  subsection; or
                      ``(B) the bypass does not cause effluent 
                  limitations to be exceeded, and the bypass is for 
                  essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of 
                  the treatment facility.
              ``(2) Limitation.--The requirement of paragraph (1)(A)(ii) 
          is not satisfied if adequate back-up equipment should have been 
          installed in the exercise of reasonable engineering judgment to 
          prevent the bypass and the bypass occurred during normal 
          periods of equipment downtime or preventive maintenance.
              ``(3) Notice requirements.--A publicly owned treatment 
          works shall provide to the Administrator (or to the State in 
          the case of a State that has a permit program approved under 
          this section)--
                      ``(A) prior notice of an anticipated bypass; and
                      ``(B) notice of an unanticipated bypass within 24 
                  hours following the time the treatment works first 
                  becomes aware of the bypass.
              ``(4) Follow-up notice requirements.--In the case of an 
          unanticipated bypass for which a publicly owned treatment works 
          provides notice under paragraph (3)(B), the treatment works 
          shall provide to the Administrator (or to the State in the case 
          of a State that has a permit program approved under this 
          section), not later than 5 days following the date on which the 
          treatment works first becomes aware of the bypass, a follow-up 
          notice containing a description of--
                      ``(A) the cause of the bypass;
                      ``(B) the reason for the bypass
                      ``(C) the period of bypass, including the exact 
                  dates and times;
                      ``(D) if the bypass has not been corrected, the 
                  anticipated time the bypass is expected to continue;
                      ``(E) the volume of the discharge resulting from 
                  the bypass;
                      ``(F) any public access areas that may be impacted 
                  by the bypass; and
                      ``(G) steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate, 
                  and prevent reoccurrence of the bypass.
              ``(5) Public availability of notices.--A publicly owned 
          treatment works providing a notice under this subsection, and 
          the Administrator (or the State in the case of a State that has 
          a permit program approved under this section) receiving such a 
          notice, shall each post all such notices provided or received 
          in a searchable database accessible on the Internet.
              ``(6) Sewage blending.--Bypasses prohibited by this section 
          include bypasses resulting in discharges from a publicly owned 
          treatment works that consist of effluent routed around 
          treatment units and thereafter blended together with effluent 
          from treatment units prior to discharge.
              ``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection, the following 
          definitions apply:
                      ``(A) Bypass.--The term `bypass' means an 
                  intentional diversion of waste streams to bypass any 
                  portion of a treatment facility which results in a 
                  discharge into the Great Lakes.
                      ``(B) Great lakes.--The term `Great Lakes' has the 
                  meaning given such term by section 118(a)(3).
                      ``(C) Treatment facility.--The term `treatment 
                  facility' includes all wastewater treatment units used 
                  by a publicly owned treatment works to meet secondary 
                  treatment standards or higher, as required to attain 
                  water quality standards, under any operating 
                  conditions.
                      ``(D) Treatment works.--The term `treatment works' 
                  has the meaning given that term in section 212.
              ``(8) Implementation.--The Administrator shall establish 
          procedures to ensure that permits issued under this section (or 
          under a State permit program approved under this section) to a 
          publicly owned treatment works include requirements to 
          implement this subsection.
              ``(9) Maximum civil penalty.--Notwithstanding any provision 
          of section 309, the maximum civil penalty which shall be 
          assessed for a violation of this subsection, or any permit 
          limitation or condition implementing this subsection, shall be 
          $100,000 per day for each day the violation occurs.
              ``(10) Effective date.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Except as provided by 
                  subparagraph (B), the requirements of this subsection 
                  shall become effective beginning January 1, 2026.
                      ``(B) Notice requirements.--The requirements of 
                  paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) shall become effective one 
                  year after the date of enactment of this subsection.''.
  
  SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF GREAT LAKES CLEANUP FUND.
  
      (a) In General.--Title V of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
  (33 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) is amended by redesignating section 519 as 
  section 520 and inserting after section 518 the following:
  
  ``SEC. 519. ESTABLISHMENT OF GREAT LAKES CLEANUP FUND.
  
      ``(a) Creation of Fund.--There is established in the Treasury of 
  the United States a trust fund to be known as the `Great Lakes Cleanup 
  Fund' (in this section referred to as the `Fund').
      ``(b) Transfers to Fund.--Effective January 1, 2026, there are 
  authorized to be appropriated to the Fund amounts equivalent to the 
  penalties collected for violations of section 402(r).
      ``(c) Administration of Fund.--The Administrator shall administer 
  the Fund.
      ``(d) Use of Funds.--The Administrator shall make the amounts in 
  the Fund available to the Great Lakes States for programs and 
  activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes, 
  including habitat protection and wetland restoration. The Administrator 
  shall allocate such amounts among the Great Lakes States based on the 
  proportional amount attributable to each Great Lakes State for 
  penalties collected for violations of section 402(r).
      ``(e) Priority.--In selecting programs and activities to be funded 
  using amounts made available under this section, a Great Lakes State 
  shall give priority consideration to programs and activities that 
  address violations of section 402(r) resulting in the collection of 
  penalties.
      ``(f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `Great Lakes' and 
  `Great Lakes States' have the meanings given such terms in section 
  118(a)(3).''.
      (b) Conforming Amendment to State Revolving Fund Program.--Section 
  607 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 1387) is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``There is''; 
          and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Treatment of Great Lakes Cleanup Fund.--For purposes of this 
  title, amounts made available from the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund under 
  section 519 shall be treated as funds authorized to be appropriated to 
  carry out this title and as funds made available under this title, 
  except that such funds shall be made available to the Great Lakes 
  States as provided in section 519.''.
target: Great Lakes Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from intentionally diverting waste streams to bypass any portion of the treatment facility if the diversion results in a discharge into the Great Lakes unless: (1) the bypass is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage; (2) there is no feasible alternative; and (3) the treatment works provides notice; or (4) the bypass does not cause effluent limitations to be exceeded and is for essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of the treatment facility.
  
  Requires: (1) such notice to be provided to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (or to a state with an approved permit program) prior to an anticipated bypass or within 24 hours of becoming aware of an unanticipated bypass; and (2) follow-up notice regarding the cause and duration of, volume of discharge resulting from, and public access areas affected by an unanticipated bypass.
  
   Includes among prohibited bypasses those resulting in discharges from a POTW that consist of effluent routed around treatment units and blended with effluent from treatment units prior to discharge.
  
  Directs the Administrator to establish procedures to ensure that permits issued to POTWs under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System include requirements to implement this Act.
  
  Provides a maximum civil penalty for violations.
  
  Establishes the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund from which amounts shall be provided for improving wastewater discharges.
feat_title: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a deadline for restricting sewage dumping into the Great Lakes and to fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes.