What is the SDWA?
Safe Drinking Water Act
The SWDA authorizes the EPA to establish minimum standards to?
Protect tap water and requires all owners or operators of public water systems to comply with these primary health related standards
What is a Public Water System (PSW)?
Public Water Systems are those having at least 15 service connections or serve at least 25 people for at least 60 days a year
What are the 3 types of PSW?
- Community Water Systems (CWS)
- Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems (NTNCWS)
- Transient Non-Community Water Systems (TNCWS)
Community Water Systems (CWS)
-Provide water to the same residences year-round
-ex. Homes, apartments, etc.
Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems (NTNCWS)
-Provide water to same people at least six months a year, but not all year
-ex. Schools, factories, churches, office buildings
Transient Non-Community Water Systems (TNCWS)
-Provide water where people do not remain for long periods of time
-ex. Gas stations, campgrounds
Water treatment process that combine or coagulate small particles into larger particles, which seller out of the water as sediment.
Flocculation/Sedimentation
Many water treatment facilities use this process to remove all particles from the water. It clarifies water and enhances effectiveness of disinfection.
Filtration
This water treatment technique is used to remove inorganic contaminants if they cannot be removed adequately by Filtration or Sedimentation.
Ion Exchange
Organic contaminants, unwanted coloring, and taste-and-odor-causing compounds stick to the surface of granular or powder activated carbon and are this removed from the drinking water
Absorption
Uses chlorine, chloramines, or chlorine dioxide to disinfect water before it enters the distribution system.
Disinfection
When do PWS notify customers?
-PWS are required to notify customers of violations of drinking water standards or other requirements within 24hrs or any violations that have the potential to cause serious health effects
Lead-Free Plumbing
The SWDA prohibits the use of any pipe, plumbing fixture, solder, or flux in the installation or repair of PES that is not “Lead-Free”
What is Underground Injection Control Programs (UIC)
The UIC program regulates the construction, operation, permitting and closure of injection wells to ensure that underground injection wells don’t endanger any current and future underground sources of drinking water
Sole Source Aquifer Protection Program
-authorizes EPA to determine that an Aquifer is the sole or principal drinking water source for an area
-area that overlie a designated sole source Aquifer does not get federal funding for projects that EPA determines may contaminate such an Aquifer
State Groundwater Protection Grant
Authorized EPA to make 50% grants to states to develop programs to ensure coordinated and comprehensive protection of ground water within the states
Examples of how Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) are used
-improving drinking water treatment
-fixing leaky or old pipes
-improving source of water supply
-replacing or constructing finished water storage tanks
