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Regulating Water on Interstate Carrier ConveyancesIn the United States, drinking water safety on airlines is jointly regulated by the EPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In April 2008, EPA proposed regulations for aircraft drinking water.
EPA regulates water quality in public water systems in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA regulates the parent systems that supply water to the airports and the drinking water once it is on board the aircraft. The regulatory structure for all public water systems, including aircraft, relies upon self-monitoring and reporting of results to the primacy (primary enforcement) agency. The primacy agency for aircraft public water systems is EPA. Development of Aircraft Drinking Water RegulationsEPA accelerated the development of regulations for water that is served onboard aircraft. The proposed Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR) tailors drinking water rule requirements to the unique characteristics of aircraft.
The primary purpose of the proposed ADWR is to ensure that safe and reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew. This entails providing air carriers with a feasible way to comply with SDWA and the national primary drinking water regulations. The existing regulations were designed primarily with traditional, stationary public water systems in mind. Some of these requirements have proven difficult to implement when applied to aircraft water systems, which are operationally very different.
These unique operational characteristics present different challenges, which EPA is addressing in the proposed ADWR. In developing the proposed ADWR, EPA used a collaborative process to obtain a broad range of views including the airlines, flight attendants, passengers, pilots, airports, laboratories, public health officials and environmental organizations. Summaries of the 2005 public meeting and 2006 and 2007 stakeholder workshops are available on the public meetings page. EPA is also seeking comment on the Draft Technical Guidance Manual for the Proposed Aircraft Drinking Water Rule.The comment period for the Guidance is open until August 31, 2008. Comments may be submitted by email (aircraftdrinkingwater@epa.gov). (Note: any comments on the proposed rule itself must be submitted to EPA in the manner prescribed in the April 9, 2008 Federal Register notice for the Proposed Rule by July 8, 2008.) FDA and FAA Requirements for Aircraft Drinking WaterFDA has jurisdiction over culinary water (e.g., ice) and the points where aircraft obtain water (e.g., pipes or tankers) at the airport.
FAA requires airline companies to submit operation and maintenance programs covering all parts of the aircraft, including the potable water system. Historical EPA Guidance for AircraftEPA issued Water Supply Guidance 29 in 1986 in an effort to tailor Safe Drinking Water Act requirements for public water systems to address the unique characteristics of Interstate Carrier Conveyances (ICCs), such as aircraft. Under the guidance, ICC operators could substitute an EPA approved operations and maintenance plan for regular monitoring of the vehicle's water system. EPA has initiated an accelerated rule-making process to develop regulations for water onboard aircraft. At this time, EPA is no longer approving operation and maintenance programs in lieu of monitoring while the ICC program is being revised.
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