Safe Drinking Water Act
42 USC 300f et seq.; P.L. 93-523; 88 Stat. 1660; December 16, 1974
Historical Context:
The enactment of the SDWA was a response to the growing concern among Americans about the quality and safety of their drinking water. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, several incidents of industrial pollution and contamination of public water systems led to widespread public outrage and demands for action. For example, in 1969, a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, prompted calls for stronger environmental protections, including regulations to protect drinking water sources. SDWA was enacted in 1974 to address these concerns and ensure that Americans had access to safe and clean drinking water.
Regulatory Structure:
SDWA is enforced by the EPA, which is responsible for setting national drinking water standards, regulating public water systems, and overseeing the implementation of the law at the state level. The regulatory structure of SDWA is designed to ensure that all public water systems meet the same minimum standards for drinking water quality and safety, regardless of their size or location. The law requires all public water systems to monitor their drinking water sources regularly, treat the water to meet EPA standards, and report any violations to their customers and the EPA. States are responsible for implementing and enforcing the SDWA, and the EPA provides funding, technical assistance, and oversight to ensure compliance. In addition, SDWA provides for citizen enforcement of the law through citizen suits, which allow individuals or organizations to sue public water systems or the EPA for violations of the law.
Major Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act:
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was first enacted by the US Congress in 1974, and since then, it has been amended several times to address emerging issues related to the quality and safety of drinking water. Some of the significant amendments to SDWA are:
The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977 (December 16, 1977 P.L. 95-190): The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977 amended the original Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. The 1977 amendment increased the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to protect public drinking water and established funding for public water system supervision, protection of underground sources of drinking water, and research into water treatment technologies. It also required the EPA to develop and enforce regulations to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination by underground injection wells. The 1977 amendment also established new requirements for public notification of drinking water contaminants and established funding for research and development of water treatment technologies.
The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 (June 19, 1986, P.L.99-339): The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. The amendments strengthened SDWA by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for 83 contaminants in drinking water, including synthetic organic chemicals, volatile organic chemicals, and inorganic chemicals. The amendments also required states to develop wellhead protection programs, establish a program for assessing the vulnerability of public water systems to contamination, and establish a program for identifying and protecting underground sources of drinking water. Additionally, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 required the EPA to develop and implement a program to control lead and copper in drinking water, and provided for the establishment of a drinking water state revolving loan fund to provide low-interest loans to public water systems for infrastructure improvements. Overall, the amendments sought to improve the safety and quality of drinking water in the United States.
The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 (August 6, 1996, P.L. 104-182): As an amendment, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 made several changes to the original Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. Some of the key changes included:
a. Requiring that all community water systems provide an annual water quality report to their customers.
b. Establishing a program to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination.
c. Requiring that all public water systems serving more than 10,000 people conduct a source water assessment to identify potential sources of contamination.
d. Requiring that all public water systems serving more than 3,300 people develop and implement a plan to protect their drinking water sources.
e. Authorizing funding for a variety of programs to help public water systems comply with the new requirements and improve the quality of their drinking water.