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Drinking Water Program Environmental Protection Agency

 

 

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed in 1974 to ensure the safety of public drinking water supplies. In 1986, amendments to the Act were passed to further strengthen the drinking water program by establishing a timetable for EPA to develop additional drinking water regulations.

The 1996 Amendments to the SDWA contain a significant number of new provisions for EPA, the States, water suppliers, and the public. The 1996 Amendments emphasize sound science and risk-based standard setting, small water supply system flexibility and technical assistance, community-empowered source water protection, consumer awareness/right-to-know, and water system infrastructure assistance through a multi-billion-dollar Drinking Water State Revolving Fund(DWSRF).

Frequently Asked Questions on Drinking Water ??

Program Highlights

Drinking Water Standards for Regulated Contaminants

Under the SDWA, EPA sets legal limits on the levels of contaminants in drinking water. The legal limits reflect both the level that protects human health and the level that water systems can achieve using the best available technology. Besides prescribing these legal limits, EPA rules set water-testing schedules and methods that water systems must follow. In case a specific limit cannot be set, the rules also identify techniques for treating the water.

Small Systems & Capacity Development

A State must obtain the legal authority or other means to ensure that new community and nontransient noncommunity water systems that start-up after October 1, 1999 have the technical, financial and managerial capacity to meet National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico have met this requirement (not applicable to Virgin Islands). States are also required to establish capacity development strategies by August 6, 2000 to assist all systems in developing and maintaining capacity. New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico have met this requirement (not applicable to Virgin Islands).

For further inquires, please contact: Khan.Taj@epamail.epa.gov

Operator Certification

By February 5, 2001, states must adopt and be implementing an operator certification program that meets EPA's Final Guidelines for the Certification and Recertification of the Operators of Community and Nontransient Noncommunity Public Water Systems or Drinking Water State Revolving Fund money will either be held back or denied.

For further inquires, please contact: Mckenna .Gerard@epamail.epa.gov

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)

The 1996 Amendments authorized one billion dollars per year through the year 2003 of financial assistance to the states to be used for low interest loans to public water systems for the construction of facilities to ensure safe and adequate drinking water. New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico have implemented the DWSRF programs and are making low interest loans for drinking water facilities. Virgin Island receives fundings in the form of grants.

Consumer Confidence Report Rule (CCR)

This important right-to-know rule requires water systems to provide annual water quality reports to their customers. The CCR includes information on source water, the levels of any detected contaminants, compliance with drinking water standards, and educational information. Customers should expect to receive their reports by July 1st of each year.

For further inquires, please contact: Poon.Robert@epamail.epa.gov

Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants for Indian Nations

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments of 1996, made a number of changes to the United States' drinking water program. A significant change to the SDWA was the establishment of a program that authorizes EPA to distribute Federal Grant Money to Indian Nations for needed public drinking water system infrastructure improvements.

EPA Region 2 sent out its second annual letter announcing a "call for projects" on July 14, 2000. Pre-applications were due by October 1, 2000 in order for new projects to be listed in the Fiscal Year 2001 Intended Use Plan (IUP). No new pre-applications were submitted. A proposed Fiscal Year 2001 IUP has been drafted (see below) which explains EPA's plan for distribution of available FY-2001 funds. There is a 45 day comment period on the Proposed IUP which ends March 17, 2001 (see Jan. 31, 2001 letter below).

For further inquires, please contact: Mckenna .Gerard@epamail.epa.gov

Source Water Protection Programs

Assessment is one of the 1996 Amendments key prevention initiatives, which can provide information vital to the success of new drinking water regulatory flexibility for States and water systems. The resultant assessments can be used to focus resources on protecting drinking water sources.

For further inquires, please contact: Gould.Stephen@epamail.epa.gov

Safe Drinking Water Information System

SDWIS/FED is an EPA national database storing information about the nation's drinking water. It contains information about public water systems and their violations of EPA's regulations for safe drinking water.

For further inquires, please contact: Rasso.Mark@epamail.epa.gov

Questions concerning New York City Drinking Water

Please contact  New York City Department of Environmental Protection (718)-DEP-HELP

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