Safe Drinking Water Act

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Safe Drinking Water Act
Acronym / colloquial name SDWA
Enacted by the 93rd United States Congress
Effective December 16, 1974
Citations
Public Law [P.L. 93-523 ]
U.S. Statutes at Large 88 Stat. 1660 (1974)
Codification
U.S.C. sections created 42 U.S.C. § 300f
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 433 by Warren Magnuson on January 18, 1973
  • Committee consideration by: Commerce
  • Passed the Senate on June 22, 1973 ()
  • Passed the House on November 19, 1974 (296-84)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on ; agreed to by the Senate on November 26, 1974 () and by the House on December 3, 1974 ()
  • Signed into law by President Gerald Ford on December 16, 1974
Major amendments
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986; Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the principal federal law in the United States that ensures safe drinking water for the public.[1] Pursuant to the act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set standards for drinking water quality and oversee all states, localities, and water suppliers who implement these standards.

SDWA applies to every public water system in the United States.[2] There are currently more than 160,000 public water systems providing water to almost all Americans at some time in their lives.

SDWA does not apply to bottled water. Bottled water is regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.[3]

Contents

[edit] National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

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The SDWA requires EPA to establish National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) for contaminants that may cause adverse public health effects.[4]

The regulations include both mandatory levels (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs) and nonenforceable health goals (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) for each included contaminant. MCLGs have additional significance because they can be used under the Superfund law as "Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements" (ARARs) in cleanups of contaminated sites on the National Priorities List (NPL).

The 1986 SDWA amendments [5] required EPA to apply future NPDWRs to both community and non-transient non-community water systems when it evaluated and revised current regulations. The first case in which this was applied was the final rule on July 8, 1987.[6] At that time NPDWRs were promulgated for certain synthetic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and applied to non-transient non-community water systems as well as community water systems. This rulemaking also clarified that non-transient non-community water systems were not subject to MCLs that were promulgated before July 8, 1987.

Future NPDWR standards will apply to non-transient non-community water systems because of concern for the long-term exposure of a stable population. It is important to note that EPA's decision to apply future NPDWRs to non-transient non-community water systems may have a significant impact on Department of Energy (DOE) facilities that operate their own drinking water systems.

[edit] "Lead Free" Plumbing Requirements

Main article: Lead and copper rule

The 1986 amendments require EPA to set standards limiting the concentration of lead in public water systems, and defines "lead free" pipes as:

(1) solders and flux containing not more than 0.2 percent lead;
(2) pipes and pipe fittings containing not more than 8.0 percent lead; and
(3) plumbing fittings and fixtures as defined in industry-developed voluntary standards (issued no later than August 6, 1997), or standards developed by EPA in lieu of voluntary standards.[7]

EPA issued a lead and copper regulation in 1991.

[edit] Airline Water Supplies

In 2004, EPA tested drinking water quality on commercial aircraft and found that 15 percent of tested aircraft water systems tested positive for total coliform bacteria. In April 2008 EPA published a proposed regulation for aircraft public water systems. The proposal would require air carriers operating in the U.S. to conduct coliform sampling, management practices, corrective action, public notification, operator training, and reporting and recordkeeping.[8]

[edit] Related Programs

[edit] Underground Injection Control Program

The 1974 act authorized EPA to regulate injection wells in order to protect underground sources of drinking water.[9]

[edit] Whistleblower protection

The SDWA includes a whistleblower protection.[10] Employees in the US who believe they were fired or suffered another adverse action related to enforcement of this law have 30 days to file a written complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

[edit] 1996 SDWA Amendments

In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to emphasize sound science and risk-based standard setting, small water supply system flexibility and technical assistance, community-empowered source water assessment and protection, public right-to-know, and water system infrastructure assistance through a multi-billion-dollar state revolving loan fund. They were signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 6, 1996.[11]

[edit] Main Points of the 1996 Amendments

  1. Consumer Confidence Reports: All community water systems must prepare and distribute annual reports about the water they provide, including information on detected contaminants, possible health effects, and the water's source.
  2. Cost-Benefit Analysis: US EPA must conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis for every new standard to determine whether the benefits of a drinking water standard justify the costs.
  3. Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: States can use this fund to help water systems make infrastructure or management improvements or to help systems assess and protect their source water.
  4. Microbial Contaminants and Disinfection Byproducts: EPA is required to strengthen protection for microbial contaminants, including Cryptosporidium, while strengthening control over the byproducts of chemical disinfection. The Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule and the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule together address these risks.
  5. Operator Certification: Water system operators must be certified to ensure that systems are operated safely. EPA issued guidelines in February 1999 specifying minimum standards for the certification and recertification of the operators of community and non-transient, noncommunity water systems. These guidelines apply to state Operator Certification Programs. All States are currently implementing EPA-approved operator certification programs.
  6. Public Information and Consultation: SDWA emphasizes that consumers have a right to know what is in their drinking water, where it comes from, how it is treated, and how to help protect it. EPA distributes public information materials (through its Drinking Water Hotline, Safewater web site, and Resource Center) and holds public meetings, working with states, tribes, water systems, and environmental and civic groups, to encourage public involvement.
  7. Small Water Systems: Small water systems are given special consideration and resources under SDWA, to make sure they have the managerial, financial, and technical ability to comply with drinking water standards.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pub.L. 93-523; 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq. December 16, 1974.
  2. ^ A public water system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 individuals, at least 60 days per year. 42 U.S.C. § 300f(4)(A)
  3. ^ 21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.
  4. ^ Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 141
  5. ^ Pub.L. 99-339.
  6. ^ Federal Register, 52 FR 25690
  7. ^ 42 U.S.C. § 300g-6(d).
  8. ^ US EPA. "National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Drinking Water Regulations for Aircraft Public Water Systems." Federal Register, 73 FR 19319, April 9, 2008.
  9. ^ 42 U.S.C. § 300h
  10. ^ 42 U.S.C. 300j-9(i)
  11. ^ Pub.L. 104-182.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Drinking_Water_Act"
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