Federal Requirements
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the principal federal law concerning drinking water. SDWA authorized the EPA to promulgate regulations regarding water supply. The major regulations are in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations: 40 CFR Parts 141, 142 and 143. Parts 141, 142, and 143 regulate primary contaminants, implementation by states, and secondary contaminants. Primary contaminants are those with health impacts. State implementation allows states to be the primary regulators of the water supplies (rather than EPA) provided they meet certain requirements. Secondary contaminants generally cause aesthetic problems and are not directly harmful.
The SDWA also contains provisions that require water supplies to develop emergency plans, water supply operators to be licensed, and watersheds to be protected.
See Portland Water Bureau for an example of how the regulations were applied to a public water system.
Read more about this topic: Drinking Water Quality Legislation Of The United States
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