Summary

GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new rule on national primary drinking water regulations. GAO found that (1) the final rule requires the use of treatment techniques, along with monitoring, reporting, and public notification requirements, for all public water systems that use surface water sources, and the purposes of the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule are to protect public health from illness due to Cryptosporidium and other microbial pathogens in drinking water and to address risk-risk trade-offs with the control of disinfection byproducts; and (2) EPA complied with the applicable requirements.