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Drinking Water Standards
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Priority Rulemakings
- Arsenic
The Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to revise the existing 50
parts per billion (ppb) standard for arsenic in drinking water. EPA
is implementing a 10 ppb standard for arsenic.
- Ground Water Rule
EPA is proposing a rule which specified the appropriate use of
disinfection in ground water and addresses other components of ground
water systems to assure public health protection.
- Lead and Copper
EPA estimates that approximately 20 percent of human exposure to lead
is attributable to lead in drinking water.
- Microbials &
Disinfection Byproducts
A major challenge for water suppliers is how to balance the risks
from microbial pathogens and disinfection byproducts. This paragraph
includes development of the Long Term 2 Enhanced
Surface Water Treatment Rule and Stage
2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule.
- MTBE
MTBE (methyl-t-butyl ether) is a member of a group of chemicals
commonly known as fuel oxygenates. MTBE replaces the use of lead as
an octane enhancer since 1979.
- Radionuclides
EPA has updated its standards for radionuclides in drinking water.
- Radon
Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that may cause
cancer, and may be found in drinking water and indoor air.
- Unregulated Contaminant
Monitoring Rule
EPA uses data generated by the UCMR to evaluate and prioritize
contaminants on the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List, a list
of contaminants EPA is considering for possible new drinking water
standards.
Regulatory Infrastructure
- Analytical
Methods for Drinking Water
An analytical method is a procedure used to analyze a sample in order
to determine the identity and concentration of a specific sample component.
Many government agencies, universities and consensus methods organizations
develop analytical methods.
- Laboratory
Certification
Laboratories analyzing drinking water compliance samples must be certified
by U.S. EPA or the State. They must analyze performance evaluation samples,
use approved methods and States also require periodic on-site audits.
- National Contaminant Occurrence Database
The NCOD was developed to satisfy statutory requirements set by Congress
in the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments. The purpose of the database
is to support EPA's decisions related to identifying contaminants for
regulation and subsequent regulation development.
- Occurrence
and Contaminant Selection
EPA is required to establish a list of contaminants to aid in priority-setting
for the Agency's drinking water program. EPA has divided contaminants
among those which are priorities for additional research, those which
need additional occurrence data, and those which are priorities for
consideration in rulemaking.
- Six Year Review
of Standards
EPA is required to review each national primary drinking water regulation
promulgated by the Agency at least every six years.
- Treatment Technology
The mission of the treatment technology team is to identify and/or develop
high quality, cost-effective treatment technologies to meet regulation
development and program implementation objectives and deadlines.
Additional Information
- Research
Links to the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) home
page.
- Current Standards
(MCLs)
EPA sets standards that, when combined with protecting ground water
and surface water, are critical to ensuring safe drinking water. EPA
works with its regional offices, states, tribes and its many partners
to protect public health through implementing the Safe Drinking Water
Act.
- Drinking Water
and Health
The U.S. has one of the safest water supplies in the world. Now you
have a way to find information about your drinking water if it comes
from a public water supplier.
- Meeting Summaries
Read summaries of public meetings related to Safe Drinking Water Act
implementation.
- Partnership
for Safe Water
The Partnership for Safe Water is a unique cooperative effort between
EPA and its stakeholders. The Partnership encourages and assists U.S.
water suppliers to voluntarily enhance their water systems' performance.
- Perchlorate
EPA has released for public review and comment its revised draft toxicity
assessment on perchlorate, which is the primary ingredient of solid
rocket propellant.
- Sulfate
Sulfate is a substance that occurs naturally in drinking water. Health
concerns regarding sulfate in drinking water have been raised because
of reports that diarrhea may be associated with the ingestion of water
containing high levels of sulfate.
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