The Board was originally constituted as the KarnatakaStatePollution Control Board for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution in 1974 as persection 4 of the Water Act, 1974. It was renamed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board in 1985 after the enactment of Air Act in 1981. The Board was initially mandated only to implement the Water Act. Subsequently, it was empowered to enforce to enforce the Water Cess Act, 1977; the Water Cess Rules, 1978; and a series of Rules and Notifications framed under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.