The Safe Water Drinking Act
The Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) was originally passed
in 1974. Prior to its passage, each state determined its own drinking
water standards. This bill placed drinking water standards under
the jurisdiction of the EPA. It also defined a Public Water System
(PWS) as any system which serves piped water to at least 25 persons or
15 connections for 60 or more days a year.
In 1996, the SWDA was amended by President Clinton and
Congress. It now required each PWS to notify its customers within
24 hours of any violation of EPA standards which has the potential to cause
serious adverse health risks as a result of short-term exposure.
In addition, the PWS must also release the potential effects of the violation,
the steps being taken to correct the violation and any precautionary measures
that the comsumer should take. The amendment also required that each
PWS release an annual water quality report to its customers.
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