Who is responsible drinking water quality?

The Safe Drinking Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the responsibility for setting national drinking water standards that protect the health of the 250 million people who get their water from public water systems.  Other people get their water from private wells which are not subject to Federal Regulations.  Since 1974, EPA has set national safety standards for over 80 contaminants that may occur in drinking water.

While EPA and state governments set and enforce standards, local governments and private water suppliers have direct responsibility for the quality of the water that flows to your tap.   Water systems test and treat their water, maintain the distribution systems that deliver water to consumers, and report on their water quality to the state.  States and EPA provide technical assistance to water suppliers and can take legal action against systems that fail to provide water that meets state and EPA standards. 

For more information

• Read Water on Tap: What You Need To Know
• Find out what's going on in your state.  Find its drinking water web site through EPA's local drinking water information web site .  This site will also help you find information about your drinking water supplier. 
• EPA's rules don't apply to water from private wells, but EPA does have some recommendations for people who get water from private wells. 
• To learn how EPA sets limits on drinking water contaminants, read Setting Standards for Safe Drinking Water . 
• Read the complete Safe Drinking Water Act or a summary of the 1996 Amendments to the Act.. 
• Each state writes an annual report on its systems' compliance with drinking water rules.  EPA compiles and analyzes these reports in its Compliance Report.

Return to Drinking Water & Health: what you need to know

Safewater Home | About Our Office | Publications | Links | Office of Water | En Español | Questions and Answers

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us