The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was established to protect the quality of drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground sources.
What are the major requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act?
In accordance with the SDWA, the EPA regulates contaminants if the following three criteria are met: (1) the contaminant might have adverse health effects ; (2) there is substantial likelihood that the contaminant will occur in public water systems at levels of public health concern; and (3) its regulation will reduce ...
What did the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 protect?
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply . ... standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water.
What did the Clean Water Act do?
(1972) The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters .
What are the purposes of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act?
The statutes serve two important but distinct purposes that are accomplished through different means. The CWA focuses on protecting the quality of navigable water by ensuring they are fishable and swimmable , while the SDWA focuses on public health and source water protection.
Is there still a Clean Water Act?
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act gives states and tribes the power to block federal projects that harm lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands within their borders. ... The administration repealed the Clean Water Rule and is now attempting to undo the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act.
Why does Flint Michigan have no clean water?
In August 2014, the city issued a boil water advisory after fecal bacteria were identified in the water. By the time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notified Michigan in early 2015 that there were dangerous levels of lead in Flint’s water, its residents had complained for months of mysterious illnesses.
What two laws were passed to ensure clean drinkable water?
In the 1970s, a number of important water-quality landmarks were achieved, including establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1970, and passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments (Clean Water Act) in 1972, the US Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 , and the US Toxic Substances ...
Which is Earth’s largest source of clean drinkable water?
Surface water is far easier to reach, so this becomes the most common source of potable water. About 321 billion gallons per day of surface water is used by humans. About 77 billion gallons of groundwater are used each day.
Who is responsible for drinking water?
EPA is responsible for making sure that public water supplies within the United States are safe. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act .
What changes were made to the Clean Water Act?
As amended in 1972, the law became commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). The 1972 amendments: Established the basic structure for regulating pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States . Gave EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry.
Why did the Clean Water Act start?
Clean Water Act (CWA), also known as Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, U.S. legislation enacted in 1972 to restore and maintain clean and healthy waters. The CWA was a response to increasing public concern for the environment and for the condition of the nation’s waters .
How is the Clean Water Act not effective?
The Clean Water Act has also never adequately addressed our most significant remaining source of pollution problems: non-point sources . ... Stormwater discharges still contribute to serious water quality problems in many places, and we continue to lose nearly 60,000 acres of valuable wetlands every year.
What are the major differences between Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act?
While the Clean Water Act addresses pollution that goes into the water, the Safe Drinking Water Act ensures clean drinking water in the U.S. by setting standards for protecting groundwater and for the safety of the public drinking water supply .
Is the Clean Water Act successful?
The Clean Water Act has been successful at reducing pollution that enters our rivers and lakes from ‘point sources. ‘ These are single, identifiable sources of pollution like wastewater treatment plants and factories. However, ‘nonpoint source’ pollution is still a significant problem for clean water.
What are the three main goals of the Clean Water Act?
The CWA aims to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution in the nation’s water in order to “ restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters “, as described in CWA section 101(a).
