[Federal Register: September 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 170)] [Notices] [Page 48163] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02se99-66] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-6432-3] Futures Forum Discussion of Source Water Protection; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be holding a one-day public meeting from 1:00 to 4:00 on September 13, 1999 in Washington, DC. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the protection of drinking water sources in the next 25 years, and how protection helps to provide the public with safe drinking water at the tap. Discussion of this question is part of the Safe Drinking Water Act 25th Anniversary Futures Forum. The purpose of the Drinking Water Futures Forum is to evaluate the challenges facing the nation in ensuring a safe supply of drinking water in 25 years, and develop a plan to meet these challenges. The overall question of the futures forum is: How should we ensure safe drinking water in 25 years? There are 7 sub-questions on: treatment technologies, source water quality and quantity, sensitive subpopulations, cost, small systems, unserved populations, and research. The discussion on September 13 will focus on source water protection. The proposed vision is that in 25 years, all public drinking water supplies will have source water protection measures in place as the first step of a multi-barrier approach to provide safe drinking water to the public. What needs to happen over the next 25 years to reach this vision? Issues related to source water protection include: Do we need to reach national consensus on a definition of source water protection? Is public health protection significantly enhanced by source water protection, or is treatment technology more effective and economical? Are there adequate institutional frameworks for protecting sources of drinking water given the diversity of authorities responsible for contaminant sources, water supply and water quality? What are the catalysts that will accomplish protection at a local level, and integration of source water protection into a public water systems' management plan? DATES: The meeting will be held on September 13, 1999 from 1 to 4 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the EPA Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004, Room 4045. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the meeting, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or 703-285- 1093 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT. For specific meeting information, please contact Betsy Henry by telephone at 202-260-2399 or by e-mail at henry.betsy@epa.gov. Elizabeth Fellows, Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. [FR Doc. 99-22935 Filed 9-1-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P