In 1972 a law known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act was expanded and improved to become the Clean Water Act. It established the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States and gave the EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry. In Hawaii there were three primary ocean outfalls to be constructed as well as significant repair projects to existing systems.
This was good work for the ambitious and motivated American Divers Inc and eventually led to new opportunities in the Caribbean located at Puerto Rico and the West Coast of the United States. Larger marine construction companies had been pleased with the work of American Divers, Inc., and offered them work on multiple ocean outfall projects. These significant projects demanded a larger marine fleet so the three owners made the first of many trips to the Gulf of Mexico in search of the perfect vessels to match their growing needs. As a result of the fast expanding marine fleet, American Workboats was formed in 1979 to manage these assets.
