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Drinking Water Issue
Summary Only one percent of the earth's water is drinkable and local governments are often stewards of public drinking water supplies. Given their responsibility for protecting public health and the environment, local governments are required under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to meet the federal drinking water standards and to develop the plans and programs to protect sources of drinking water. An essential step in a community's source water protection program is a source water assessment, which includes the delineation of the area to be protected and an inventory of the potential contaminants within that area. Developing a drinking or source water protection program allows local governments to act positively to protect public health rather than simply react after a costly problem occurs, i.e., contaminated drinking water supplies. Resources U.S. EPA EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW). OGWDW together with states, tribes, and its many partners, protects public health by ensuring safe drinking water and protecting ground water. OGWDW, along with EPA's ten regional drinking water programs, oversees implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is the national law safeguarding tap water in America. Drinking Water Standards. Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water. For each of these contaminants, EPA sets a legal limit, called a maximum contaminant level, or requires a certain treatment. Water suppliers may not provide water that doesn't meet these standards. Other Federal Agencies/Programs States State/Local Drinking Water Information. Click on a state to locate state program information and access drinking water supply reports. Organizations/Non-Government Programs American Water Works Association. Founded in 1881, AWWA is the authoritative resource on safe water, providing knowledge, information and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond. Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) is an organization of the largest publicly owned drinking water systems in the United States. AMWA's membership serves more than 130 million Americans with drinking water from Alaska to Puerto Rico. Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) is the professional Association serving state drinking water programs. Formed in 1984 to address a growing need for state administrators to have national representation, ASDWA has become a respected voice for state primacy agents with Congress, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other professional organizations. Publications Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. ASDWA has developed a number of publications, which are listed on this page. Some publications are available online for download, while others must be purchased from ASDWA Headquarters. Databases and Tools Drinking Water Data and Databases. EPA maintains drinking water data in several databases, including the Safe Drinking Water Information System - Federal Version (SDWIS/FED) and the National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD). ICMA Source Water Awareness Media Tool Kit. One of the best ways to protect drinking water from contamination is to prevent contamination from occurring in the first place. A community can prevent contamination of its water supply through a community awareness program that educates citizens about its drinking water sources (rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and underground aquifers) and encourages proactive behavioral practices that help keep pollution from contaminating these sources. ICMA, through a grant from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, has developed a source water awareness tool kit that can be used to help raise community awareness about drinking water protection issues. The tool kit is available on-line and includes guidelines and sample promotional materials for launching a successful media campaign. For more information, contact Dorothy Morrison by e-mail at dmorrison@icma.org, or call 202/962-3585.
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