Water Quick Finder

Water

photo of: Kids Drinking Water The Water Quality Protection Division of EPA Region 6 focuses its resources on protecting and preserving the aquatic ecosystems and water resources of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as the Tribal lands located within our region. Our vision is to provide leadership and assistance to support protection and restoration efforts so that all waters in Region 6 meet all designated uses, and all citizens have access to safe drinking water. Working together, we will aggressively pursue our vision.

Household Drinking Water Wells

If your family gets drinking water from a private well, do you know if your water is safe to drink? What health risks could you and your family face? Where can you go for help or advice? This pamphlet helps answer these questions. It gives you general information about drinking water from home wells.

Download a copy of the pamphlet

Get additional information on private wells

Drinking Water and Health: What you need to know

The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world. However, national statistics don't tell you specifically about the quality and safety of the water coming out of your tap. That's because drinking water quality varies from place to place, depending on the condition of the source water from which it is drawn and the treatment it receives.

Now you have a new way to find information about your drinking water, if it comes from a public water supplier. (EPA doesn't regulate private wells, but does have recommendations for their owners.) Every community water supplier must provide an annual report (sometimes called a consumer confidence report) to its customers. The report provides information on your local drinking water quality, including the water's source, the contaminants found in the water, and how consumers can get involved in protecting drinking water.

Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act

Approximately 40 % of the U.S. Coastal Wetlands is located in Louisiana. The coast is a fragile environment, and Louisiana has lost up to 40 square miles of marsh a year for several decades. If the current loss rate continues, an additional 800,000 acres of wetlands in Louisiana will disappear. These facts prompted Congress to pass the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in 1990. It funds wetland enhancement projects nationwide, designating approximately $35 million annually for work in Louisiana. Read more ... >

Animal Feeding Operations

The NPDES program regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources to waters of the United States. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are point sources, as defined by the CWA [Section 502(14)]. To be considered a CAFO, a facility must first be defined as an Animal Feeding Operation (AFO).

Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs generally congregate animals, feed, manure, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures. Animal waste and wastewater can enter water bodies from spills or breaks of waste storage structures (due to accidents or excessive rain), and non-agricultural application of manure to crop land. AFOs that meet the regulatory definition of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) have the potential of being regulated under the NPDES permitting program. Read more >

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations - Forms and Documents

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

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