Before 1974, unprotected cross-connections and reservoirs were common throughout community and non-community water systems. Notably, many North American citizens didn’t have consistent access to safe drinking water and faced the health hazards of waterborne illnesses daily.
Thankfully, congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) at the end of ’74, ensuring better plumbing conditions for Americans everywhere! Read on to learn why the Safe Drinking Water Act remains an important piece of legislation and how its regulations might impact your property or business.
The Basics of the Safe Drinking Water Act
The SDWA instantly granted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorization to create and enforce national drinking water standards: Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs). MCLG and MCL standards impact various types of community and non-community water systems, ensuring potable resources remain safe for public consumption.
The SDWA also implemented provisions regarding water system monitoring and reporting—these are conducted and reported to either state or EPA officials. The SDWA also gave individual states the right to create and enforce their water standards, provided the laws meet national regulations. These are the three immediate impacts of the SDWA that provided the groundwork for improvements and nationwide implementation!
But why are these principles so important and, most notably, impactful even today? With regulatory authority over businesses and private properties, the EPA now eliminates all hazardous plumbing infrastructure with superior government funding, resources, and influence.
1986 and 1996 Amendments
Of course, the SDWA wasn’t a perfect piece of legislation—advancements to all other aspects of our growing society created the need for amendments. Mainly, each amendment following 1974 aimed at improving regulatory strength, infrastructure funding mechanisms, and overall water safety efficacy. The most famous SDWA amendments were passed in 1986 and 1996, as these vastly enhanced our potable public resources.
The 1986 amendments ensured that workers could easily remove more contaminants as research and experiments regarding water pollution advanced. Furthermore, this amendment began the process of updating public plumbing infrastructure, including eliminating lead and other hazardous materials in our pipes, cross-connections, water mains, and more.
The 1996 amendments increased public awareness of water quality by mandating annual Consumer Confidence Reports from all water systems. Additionally, it helped create government funding programs to address communities with the most hazardous drinking water supplies.
The SDWA’s Impact on You
So, how does the SDWA impact you? Aside from the benefits of protecting you and your community’s health and well-being, these laws also place certain responsibilities on homeowners and businesses. For example, any building connected to public water systems must feature proper backflow prevention equipment to reduce the chances of contaminating potable supplies. Building managers must inspect these backflow preventers regularly and report their findings to government agencies like their local EPA. And if businesses and private residences can’t meet these regulations, they can face severe fines and punishments.
Understanding why the Safe Drinking Water Act is so important ensures you maintain quality potable resources for you and your community. Plus, these regulations influence businesses everywhere, further increasing the impact of these laws.
