The Safe Drinking Water Act

1. The Safe Drinking Water Act By Cara Ceccanese Period 2 April 30, 2009

2. The Safe Drinking Water Act • The Safe Drinking Water Act was enacted as an amendment to the Public Health Services Act on December 12, 1974. • It was designed to protect public health by regulating the nation’s drinking water supply. • The PHSA originally regulated 22 contaminants. • 1984 – Congress amended SDWA to require that the EPA regulate 83 other contaminants by June of 1989 and 25 others every 3 years thereafter • It was created through the Environmental Protection Agency and gave them the authority to regulate drinking water contaminants • The law also provided the States with the ability to implement and enforce the standards established by the EPA. • 1996 – The last of the amendments included four provisions: 1) New and stronger approaches to prevent contamination of drinking water 2) Better information for consumers 3) New funding for states and communities through a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund 4) Water used by food processors must not only meet the SDWA requirements, but also the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements