Civil Enforcement

The goal of the Safe Drinking Water Act is to ensure that every person in this nation, wherever they are, receives clean, safe drinking water every day.

Microbial Rules: The rules which require the public water systems to meet designated maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), treatment techniques and monitoring requirements to address the occurrence of bacteria, protozoa, viruses, etc. (often due to fecal matter in the water).

Waterborne Diseases: The most common causes of the waterborne diseases are the contaminants present in the drinking water. Everyone is exposed; however, children, elderly, and the immuno-compromised, may be particularly susceptible to these disease outbreaks. The symptoms could be flu-like, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, pneumonia, secondary infection kidney damage, and in some instances, death.

Non-Microbial Rules: These rules address chemical and radiological contaminants such as various metals, pesticides, organic and inorganic chemicals, radium, etc. These contaminants, including some carcinogens, generally have a cumulative, chronic health impact after repeated exposures. The Lead and Copper Rule, the Arsenic Rule, and the Radionuclides Rule, are examples of non-microbial rules. There is also public right-to-know through the Public Notification Rule and the Consumer Confidence Rule.

Underground Injection Control (IUC): Under the UIC program, the priority is toward the wells that may endanger drinking water sources. The program has been focusing on the Class V wells (the shadow wells) and the largest class of wells. Class V wells are typically shallow wells used to place a variety of fluids (hazardous waste) directly below the land surface. Class V wells include cesspools, septic system wells, motor vehicle waste disposal wells, salt water intrusion barrier wells, subsidence control wells, etc. (see 40 CFR 144.81 for more examples.) Proper control of underground injection is critical to protecting underground sources of drinking water, on which approximately 53 percent of the U.S. population relies on to some decree for their drinking water.

Top of page