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In 1997, The USEPA issued The Response To Congress on the Use of Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Management Systems. The report stated clearly that, when properly managed, onsite and decentralized wastewater treatment systems do provide adequate protection of public health and environmental quality. This document also listed specific actions and activities required to develop an onsite wastewater management infrastructure that recognizes the value of onsite wastewater systems as a viable option to protect public health and environmental quality. Following the Response To Congress, the USEPA developed the Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP) which established action items required to ensure that the goals of the Clean Water Act more fully implemented. One of the products of the CWAP is The Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Decentralized Wastewater Systems. These voluntary national guidelines represent an attempt to incorporate a comprehensive life cycle management strategy for onsite/decentralized systems. There are two purposes to this paper, the first is to describe the process of guideline development and the second is to discuss the guidelines.