Understanding the S to o r water systems standard includes - PDF document

0 I SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AN OVERVIEW February 2015 Understanding the SDWA • Originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply. Focused primarily on treatment as the means of providing safe drinking water at the tap • Amended in 1986 and 1996. Amendments enhanced 1974 law by recognizing source water protection, operator training, funding for water system improvements, and public information as important components of safe drinking water. • Does not regulate wells which serve fewer than 25 individuals. • Authorizes EPA to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. 1

D W A con’t Understanding the S to o r water systems standard includes requirements f • Each DW standards are make sure n the water to f o r contaminants i test achieved. implement the standards. apply for authority (“primacy”) to S t a t e s • SDWA. implementthe have primacy to • All of the RiO states responsible for of Health is Hence the Washington Department • water sampling, implementing the SDWA, i.e., oversight of all treatment, compliance and enforcement. Health Effects & Standards Drinking W a t e r for 90+ chemical, microbiological, a n d has set standards • EPA and reviews these standards every n DW radiological contaminants i a r e needed. to determine i f changes six-years conduct research and collect organizations continue t o • EPA a n d o t h e r unregulated contaminants which currently determine information t o to be regulated i n t h e a risk to public health a n d t h e r e f o r e need pose future. regulations, which a r e sets secondary drinking w a t e r • EPA also managing public water systems in established as guidelines t o assist and cosmetic considerations. for aesthetic their drinking w a t e r secondary standards, but e n f o r c e not required t o adopt and • States are may choose to do so. 2

Drinking Water Standards and Health Effects con’t • DW standards apply to public water systems (PWSs), which provide water to at least 15 service connections or 25 persons at least 60 days out of the year. • Federal drinking water standards do not apply to water coming from private wells • EPA recommends private wells be tested at least annually for nitrate and coliform bacteria. • Some states, such as Washington, have established limited requirements for water systems that are not large enough to meet the federal PWS definition. Overview of Nitrate Standard Who is required to monitor for Nitrate • • All PWSs supplied by surface water, ground water, or ground water under the direct influence of surface water • What is the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) • 10 mg/L for all public water systems • What is the monitoring frequency • Community and non-transient non-community water systems Monitor annually If results are 5mgIL but do not exceed the MCL; system must monitor quarterly for at least 4 • consecutive quarters • Depending on quarterly results - may be able to return to annual monitoring • Transient non-community water systems • Monitor annually 3

Compliance & o n i t o r i n g , W a t e r M D r i n k i n g Enforcement meeting i n c l u d i n g t h a l l regulations, for complying w i PWSs are responsible monitoring, reporting, treatment technique requirements, MCLs, meeting notification. record keeping, and p u b l i c e and report all state d a t a b a s drinking water data in a maintain a l l • States monitoring and reporting violations to E P A . treatment technique, M C L , i n or water systems remain variety of activities to h e l p a S t a t e s engage i n • c i l i t i e s , reviewing their f a water systems, compliance by visiting return t o measures, invest in preventive systems equipment, and operations, helping system improvements, and conducting for n a n c i a l assistance providing f i where necessary. activities enforcement Sources Drinking Water Protecting responsible f o r Program is The Underground Injection Control • o s u r e of permitting, and c l construction, operation, u l a t i n g t h e r e g n d f o r storage o r f l u i d s u n d e r g r o u t i o n wells that p l a c e i n j e c a l . d i s p o s assessments for P W S s in completing are responsible f o r • States u r a n t s , and small towns, s c h o o l s , r e s t a major metropolitan areas, u p p l y . o r u r f a c e w a t e r s public facilities that have a well s o t h e r continue t h e provided funding annually to Currently, states are • plans that were d e v e l o p e d . t h e implementation and updating of 4

1.. Source Water Protection con’t • The Washington Department of Health completed the following: • Delineating (mapping) the source water protection areas • Conducted an inventory of potential sources of contamination in those areas • Determined the susceptibility of PWSs to those contamination sources. • The Washington Dept. of Health has a source water protection program and can provide additional details. SDWA Section 1431 Administrator has broad powers to take appropriate enforcement action if he/she receives information that: • A contaminant is present or likely to enter a Public Water System or Underground Source of Drinking Water • The contaminant may present an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to human health, and • The appropriate State and local authorities have not acted to protect public health 10 5

Section 1 4 3 1 S D W A y b e ordered: actions that m a R e m e d i a l alternate water s u p p l y Provision o f notification o f hazards Public monitoring o f PWSS a n d including inventory a n d contamination, the extent of A s t u d y t o d e t e r m i n e • or ground w a t e r p r i v a t e wells f o r i t s the endangerment and a timetable m i n a t e o p o s i n g a r e m e d y t o e l i e n g i n e e r i n g study p r • A n i m p l e m e n t a t i o n the e n d a n g e r m e n t that may be contributing t o c o n t a m i n a n t s halting o f the disposal o f • T h e a temporary or g restraining order, or appropriate relief i n c l u d i n a c i v i l action f o r • Commencing a a t e t h e party t o take steps t o a b h e . . . r e s p o n s i b l e injunction would require t permanent injunction. T h e z a r d h a 11 (N : f l . L 6