PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: EPA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSED PFAS NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS (NPDWR)
EPA is hosting two identical public meetings to solicit input and discuss environmental justice related considerations tied to the development of NPDWR under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). These events are scheduled for:
In FY 2018, approximately 3500 CWSs violated health-based standards. EPA’s NCI strives to reduce this number by 25 percent before the end of FY 2022!
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EPA’s Water System Implementation Resources provides official guidance documents organized by drinking water regulation, including chemical and microbial contaminant and right-to-know rules.
Only one percent
of the earth's water is drinkable and local governments are often
stewards of public drinking water supplies. Given their
responsibility for protecting public health and the environment,
local governments are required under the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to meet the federal drinking
water standards and to develop the plans and programs to protect
sources of drinking water. An essential step in a community's source
water protection program is a source water assessment, which includes
the delineation of the area to be protected and an inventory of the
potential contaminants within that area. Developing a drinking or
source water protection program allows local governments to act
positively to protect public health rather than simply react after a
costly problem occurs, i.e., contaminated drinking water supplies.
U.S. EPA
Drinking Water Training System. Series of online trainings on the federal requirements of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). EPA will issue a certificate upon completion of the entire series.
Building the Capacity of Drinking Water Systems. Compendium of publications, webinars and online tools focused on technical training and operator certification, water system partnership development, asset management and funding opportunities.
EPA's
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW).
OGWDW together with states, tribes, and its many partners, protects
public health by ensuring safe drinking water and protecting ground
water. OGWDW, along with EPA's ten regional drinking water programs,
oversees implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is the
national law safeguarding tap water in America.
Drinking
Water Standards. Under the authority of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets standards for approximately 90
contaminants in drinking water. For each of these contaminants, EPA
sets a legal limit, called a maximum contaminant level, or requires a
certain treatment. Water suppliers may not provide water that doesn't
meet these standards.
Public Drinking Water Systems Programs. Through the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) program, EPA implements and enforces drinking water standards to protect public health.
Basic Information about Water Security. This web site provides information to help drinking water and wastewater utilities (1) assess and reduce vulnerabilities to potential terrorist attacks, (2) plan for and practice response to emergencies and incidents, and (3) develop new security technologies to detect and monitor contaminants and prevent security breaches. The “Don’t Get Soaked” video featured on this page is targeted for drinking water and wastewater utility managers, board members, and elected and appointed officials and includes testimonials from drinking water and wastewater utilities.
National Environmental Training Center for Small Communities (NETCSC). Through U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding, NETCSC assisted small communities with training materials, information, and referral services in the areas of wastewater and drinking water. Through the efforts of technical assistance providers and trainers the program benefits local decision-makers, operations personnel, regulatory officials, environmental consultants, and others by aiding their efforts to improve the public health and water utilities management of their communities. NETCSC's training materials and products are currently available.
United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Dashboard. Interactive mapping tool that utilizes the USGS database of water data. Users can see the full range of water quality data and other information available on their local lakes, wells, and streams in real time.
American
Water Works Association. Founded in 1881, AWWA is the
authoritative resource on safe water, providing knowledge,
information and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water
in North America and beyond.
Association
of Metropolitan Water Agencies. The Association of
Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) is an organization of the largest
publicly owned drinking water systems in the United States. AMWA's
membership serves more than 130 million Americans with drinking water
from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
Association
of State Drinking Water Administrators. The
Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) is the
professional Association serving state drinking water programs.
Formed in 1984 to address a growing need for state administrators to
have national representation, ASDWA has become a respected voice for
state primacy agents with Congress, the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and other professional organizations.
Water Utility Climate Alliance. National organization providing resources including reports, trainings, technical assistance and conferences to help water utilities become climate resilient and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Publications
Citizen Science Programs at Environmental Agencies Series. Compilation of 15 case studies of agency programs that actively involve the public to complement official action and to establish a collaborative role in protecting the environment. Highlights successful methods of data collection and how they have been used by various agencies in air and water programs. (Environmental Law Institute)
Making Water a Career of Choice: Water Workforce Case Studies. Includes nine case studies of communities in the U.S. and their unique initiatives to improve recruitment and retention of water and wastewater professionals. Strategies explained include increased outreach to youths and minority communities and development of leadership training programs.
It's Hot and Getting Hotter: A Report for Utilities on Heat Impacts. Projects heat impacts on utility personnel and assets through the year 2070 and provides adaptation procedures to reduce heat-related harm to outside utility workers and infrastructure including HVAC systems, water treatment plants, pumps and motors.
Association
of State Drinking Water Administrators. ASDWA has
developed a number of publications, which are listed on this page.
Some publications are available online for download, while others
must be purchased from ASDWA Headquarters.
Occurrence of Releases with the Potential to Impact Sources of Drinking Water. EPA report on releases of harmful chemicals through accidents or unpermitted discharges into sources of drinking water that could cause significant problems for public water systems and the communities they serve. Intended to inform Risk and Resilience Assessments as required under the American Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), Section 2013.
Databases and Tools
Drinking Water Treatability Database (TDB). EPA's online compendium of information on treatment processes for chemical, microbial and radiological drinking water contaminants that are regulated and listed on the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL).
Sanitary Survey. EPA app is a go-to- resource for up-to-date water quality data, pollution source data and land use data for marine and fresh waterbody management. Data from this app can be exported for use in predictive models and can help jurisdictions gather information on the existence of algal bloom or bacterial pollution in local waters.