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Safe Drinking Water Act Enforcement
 The
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was signed into law in 1974, and
reauthorized in 1996, to ensure public health protection through
compliance by public water systems with all health-based standards,
including all monitoring and reporting requirements. It focuses
on community water systems (serving year round populations at
their primary residences) non-transient non-community systems
and transient non-community water systems whether they are above
ground or underground sources. There are direct public health
effects from drinking water which does not meet safety standards.
The law also placed increased emphasis on providing the public
information about the quality of their drinking water. The 1996
amendments, require systems to report their water quality annually
to their customers and produce an annual compliance report. In
addition, the SDWA addresses underground injection control (discussed
below).
Nationally, there are approximately 170,000 public water systems
(PWS). These public water systems range in size from large metropolitan
areas to rest stops and campgrounds, provided that they meet the
public water system definition. The definition of a public water
system is a system for the provision to the public Underground Injection Control (UIC)
Complete listing of "Enforcement Alert Newsletters" Complete listing of "Water Bulletin Newsletters"
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of
water for human consumption through pipes or other constructed
conveyances, if such system has at least 15 service connections
or regularly serves at least 25 individuals. Nationally, 22% of
the public water systems (approximately 37,000 pws) had violations
of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations in calendar
year 1999.
Underground
injection is the technology of placing fluids underground, in
porous formations of rocks, through wells or other similar conveyance
systems. While rocks such as sandstone, shale, limestone appear
to be solid, they can contain significant voids or pores that
allow water and other fluids to fill and move through them. Man-made
or produced fluids (liquids, gases or slurries) can move into
the pores of rocks by the use of pumps or by gravity. The fluids
may be water, wastewater or water mixed with chemicals. Injection
well technology can predict the capacity of rocks to contain fluids
and the technical details to do so safely.