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Requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act

by Laura Dattaro

Overview

On a planet whose surface is largely covered with water, humans are struggling to find sufficient sources of clean, healthy drinking water. Municipal systems and private water filtration aid in the effort to produce large amounts of clean water, but contamination still occurs. In order to stem the flow of contaminants into the water supply, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974.
History

The Safe Drinking Water Act was established in 1974 to protect the quality of drinking water nationwide. Aside from a few voluntary guidelines set by the Public Health Service in 1914, the act was the first attempt to set standards for water quality across the country. The act laid out maximum levels for various contaminants after a nationwide survey found that much of the country's drinking water was contaminated to the point of endangering health. Amendments in 1986 and 1996 added new contaminants to the list and created a loan program to help states revive ailing water systems.

Function

The act is primarily enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Under the act, the EPA is authorized to monitor rivers, lakes, streams, reservoirs, springs and groundwater wells that feed into the nation's drinking water supply. Private wells are not required to abide by the act, but the EPA sets regulations well owners are encouraged to follow. The act protects against the improper disposal of chemicals into the water system; contamination from animal, human or buried waste; pesticides; organic substances; and improperly maintained treatment systems.
Requirements

The requirements of the act are extensive. Generally, the act outlines the EPA's designation of contaminants and provisions for enforcement of its regulations. The original 1974 legislation established the current federal-state relationship, which gives states the primary policy-making and enforcement power. Thus, exact laws will vary state to state. The act sets standards for the EPA's selection and regulation of contaminants nationwide. Currently, regulations exist for approximately 90 contaminants. These regulations apply to 168,000 privately and publicly owned water systems. The EPA must produce a list of possible contaminants every five years, and decide whether or not to regulate at least five of the listed possibilities every five years. The decision to regulate a contaminant is based on occurrence and health risk; once a contaminant is identified, the EPA must set a maximum contaminant level goal--the level at which no health risk occurs--and a maximum contaminant level--the level of contamination that can be maintained with current technology at a reasonable cost. Only the maximum contaminant level is enforced.
Contaminants

The EPA lists all the contaminants on its website, with additional information about the potential health effects and main source of contamination for each. Contaminants are separated into six categories: microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides. Potential health problems listed include increased risk of different forms of cancer, liver and kidney malfunction, reproductive issues, circulatory or cardiovascular system problems and bone disease. Special risks are identified for children or infants; some contaminants may cause infant fatality if exposure is left untreated.
Concerns

The last reauthorization of the Act occurred in 1996, when the most recent major amendments were passed. The act was authorized to continue until 2003, but as yet no new regulations have been passed. The main issue facing the act is the power of federal entities to intervene in state and community water systems. As population and demand grow, regulations become more extensive and water systems become increasingly complex, communities are having difficulty funding adequate water programs. A fund was established in 1996 to assist communities attempting to start projects to be in compliance with the act. Congress authorized $837.5 million to this fund in 2006, but, according to a 2006 Congressional Research Report, a large funding gap still exists.