Safe Drinking Water Information System/STATE Version

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water (4606)

EPA 816-F-97-012 November 1997

SDWIS/STATE (Safe Drinking Water Information System/state version) is a database designed by EPA to help states run their drinking water programs. Sharing a name with SDWIS/FED (Safe Drinking Water Information System/federal version), SDWIS/STATE is the state counterpart to EPA's federal drinking water information system.

BACKGROUND:

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, states monitor the drinking water systems within their jurisdictions to ensure that each public water system meets state and EPA standards for safe drinking water. Each state, at its own option, may use any data system to collect the information necessary to run its Public Water Supply Supervision (PWSS) program. Some states have developed extensive data systems to meet their specific requirements; others have less sophisticated tracking systems.

EPA's goal in developing SDWIS/STATE is to provide a single data system that can meet most needs of each state's drinking water program with high quality data. SDWIS/STATE helps states manage the information necessary to supervise public drinking water systems.

WHAT DOES SDWIS/STATE DO?

SDWIS/STATE houses three major categories of information: inventory, sampling, and monitoring. Inventory data include information on individual drinking water systems such as the system location, size, and population served. Sampling data include lab results for chemical, microbiological, and radiological contaminants regulated by EPA and the state. Monitoring information contains the schedule for sampling required under each EPA rule. By comparing the monitoring schedules to the sampling data, SDWIS/STATE can make automated non-compliance determinations for the Total Coliform Rule. EPA will update the SDWIS/STATE software periodically to add new capabilities, such as non-compliance determinations for other EPA drinking water rules.

Through its reporting capabilities, SDWIS/STATE can help states report to consumers important information about their drinking water. SDWIS/STATE can also help states meet EPA quarterly reporting requirements to EPA (SDWIS/FED) for all their public drinking water systems.

WILL SDWIS/STATE IMPROVE MY LOCAL DRINKING WATER?

By themselves, data systems cannot improve the quality of your local drinking water. SDWIS/STATE is, however, a useful tool to help states oversee public drinking water systems effectively. While not all states will choose to adopt SDWIS/STATE as their data management system (as information needs differ for each state and some states have already invested in alternative data tracking systems), SDWIS/STATE can help make your state's drinking water systems more easily and efficiently managed.

TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR STATE'S DRINKING WATER, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE WATER QUALITY AGENCY.