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Drinking Water
Standards
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QUICK LINKS
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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 driking water.
- Microbials
& Disinfection Byproducts
A major challenge for water suppliers is how to balance the risks
from microbial pathogens and disinfection byproducts.
- 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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