Meeting Current & Future Drinking Water

RegulationsBy:

Tyler Richter and Wyatt Smith

Outline

History of safe drinking water regulationsImpact of SDWA regulations

The “First” Drinking Water Regulation

2000 BC Sanskrit source...“…it is directed to heat foul water by

boiling and exposing to sunlight and by dipping seven times into a piece of hot copper, then to filter and cool in an earthen vessel.”

History of U.S. Drinking Water Regulations

1914—coliform bacteria limit1925--addition of limits for inorganic and physical constituents1942 & 1946--revised standards for a variety of parameters

History of Drinking Water Regulations-cont.

1962 - U.S. Public Health Service1974 - Safe Drinking Water Act

1975 - Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations1986 - Amendments to SDWA

1996 - More Amendments to SDWA

More on SDWA History

Limited federal role prior to 1974 through US Public Health Service1974 Safe Drinking Water Act

EPA regulates 23 contaminants from 1974-19861986 Safe Drinking Water Act

Prescriptive regulatory schedule• 83 contaminants to be regulated in three years• Additional 25 contaminants every three years• EPA had difficulties in meeting these schedules

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level )-based regulations

1996 SDWA Amendments

Highlights of the 1996 SDWA

State programsDWSRF (Drinking Water State Revolving Fund ), capacity development, operator certification

Consumer awarenesspublic notification, annual compliance report

Priority regulations (w/ deadlines)Coming to a head immediately

1996 SDWA Regulations

Because of the lack of available analytical techniques, regulations became more treatment-technique oriented.A much greater number of PWSs will be impacted by these complex new regulations

Example of SDWA Complexity – Stage 2 D/DBP

THM/HAA5MCL determined by Locational System Running Annual Average (LRAA)• Phase 1: After 3 years (2005), all

systems must comply with 120/100 LLRA• Phase 2: After 6 years (2008), all large

and medium systems comply with 80/60 LRAA

Small Systems: 80/60 LLRA after 7.5 years or after 8.5 years if cryptosporidium monitoring was required

Or this with the LT2ESWTRMonitoring for Bin Classification

Decisions on how to protect all surface water Decisions on how to protect all surface water systems from systems from cryptosporidiumcryptosporidium are made on a are made on a system specific basis system specific basis LT2ESWTR (Long- Term 2 Enhanced Surface LT2ESWTR (Long- Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment RuleWater Treatment Rule ) incorporates system incorporates system specific treatment requirements based on specific treatment requirements based on “microbial framework” approach“microbial framework” approachPlace systems into “BINS” based on results of Place systems into “BINS” based on results of source water source water cryptosporidiumcryptosporidium monitoring monitoringSystems have 2 yrs following BinSystems have 2 yrs following Bin

Classification to meet Treatment Req.Classification to meet Treatment Req.

Cost of Compliance--U.S.Water Utilities

0

2

4

6

8

10

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

An

nu

aliz

ed C

ost

s, $

bill

ion

s

Source: McGuire 1994

2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey

86% have concerns about their water51% worry about possible health contaminants49% said federal WQ laws not strict enough (up to 40% in 1999). 4% feel they are.47% of 18-24 yr olds don’t think their water is as safe as it should be.Only 17% received/read their CCR’s.Primary source of information is the media 47%.41% currently use home water treatment device (up from 38% in 1999 and 32% in 1997)

2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey of 1,021 adults ( Opinion Research Corporation International (Feb 2001).

Consumer Perception Regarding Strictness of Federal Drinking Water Laws

48%

9%4%

39%

Not StrictEnough

Don'tKnow/Refused

Too Strict

Fair

Source: 2001 National Consumer Water Quality Survey

Treatment

More accurate (and complex) treatment methods-such as

postfiltration GAC absorbersion exchange reverse osmosiscoagulation-assisted microfiltrationactivated alumina

Bibliography

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/laws_statutes.html

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/CERTLIC/DRINKINGWATER/Pages/DWPfunding.aspx