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Arsenic Rule Implementation Research |  |
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 On
October 31, 2001 EPA announced that the final standard for arsenic
in drinking water of ten parts per billion (10 ppb) would become effective
on February 22, 2002 without any further action by EPA. This means
that the standard will be implemented as specified in the January
22, 2001 final rule, and the date by which systems must comply with
the new standard is January 23, 2006. As part of that announcement,
the Administrator pledged to provide $20 million over the next two
years (2002/2003) for the research and development of more cost-effective
technologies as well as technical assistance and training to operators
of small systems to reduce their compliance costs. EPA's Office of
Research and Development is spearheading the research program. The
purpose of the effort is to provide information to fill-in research
gaps that exist for a number of technologies or compliance approaches
and provide this information to utilities, engineering firms, regulatory
officials and others.
In Fiscal Year 2003, Congress appropriated $5,000,000 for Small
System Arsenic Removal research. The conferees strongly encouraged
EPA to utilize a significant portion of the funding to carry out
demonstrations of implementation of low-cost treatment technology
and directed the Agency to report to the Committees on Appropriations
by August 15, 2003, on its plans to carry out such demonstrations.
In Fiscal Year 2004, Congress appropriated an additional $5,000,000
for Small System Arsenic Removal research. The Committee also
directed EPA to report by April 7, 2004 on the current status
of the demonstrations to implementation of low-cost treatment
technology for arsenic removal, including benchmarks and targets
for continued implementation of these technologies. 2003 Demonstrations
2004 Arsenic Treatment Technology Demonstration Solicitation
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