Verified Document

Safe Drinking Water Act Was Essay

The EPA had been developing new regulations at a pace that was deemed too slow by Congress. Only one of the interim standards set in 1975 had been updated. There were also deficiencies in the implementation. Microbial contamination had not been sufficiently addressed. By the early 1980s, synthetic chemicals were being found in drinking water with increasing frequency. The 1986 Amendment therefore addressed these issues. Maximum levels for many contaminants were either set or updated. The Federal government also took a greater role in the provision of drinking water by compelling the EPA to establish regulations within specific time frames. Further amendments to the law were enacted in subsequent years, governing specific issues that had not been addressed in the original legislation. New components included stricter crackdown on coliform, the elimination of giardia, legionella and other pathogens and rules governing pipes and welding, specifically to curtail the use of lead and copper pipes.

The 1996 amendments brought the legislation into the modern era. These included specifics on funding, new risk-based criteria for standard-setting,...

The funding was necessary in particular for small water systems that were having difficulty funding the required upgrades on their own. The amendments also included provisions about public notification and annual compliance reports.
Thus, over time, we can see the evolution of the Safe Drinking Water Act from its tentative beginnings in 1974 to a more strengthened version in 1986 and a fully workable version in 1996 that is essentially the same Act as we have today.

Works Cited:

No author. Safe Drinking Water Act. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/basicinformation.html

No author. (1999). 25 Years of the Safe Drinking Water Act: History and Trends. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/epagov/www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/trendrpt.pdf

No author. (2007). Safe Drinking Water Act. Water Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Re-St./Safe-Drinking-Water-Act.html

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited:

No author. Safe Drinking Water Act. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/basicinformation.html

No author. (1999). 25 Years of the Safe Drinking Water Act: History and Trends. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/epagov/www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/trendrpt.pdf

No author. (2007). Safe Drinking Water Act. Water Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Re-St./Safe-Drinking-Water-Act.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Water Geography - Definitions -
Words: 2268 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

They can also enable countries to become more self-reliant rather than relying on international sources of energy. In these five ways, dams may prove very beneficial to countries utilizing them. Many cities that build dams take advantage of damns as a resource for tourism and revenues. Because dams often pose a majestic view, and provide the opportunity for recreation in the form of boating and camping, many cities use them

Water Purification: Natural, Drinking, and
Words: 673 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

"Raw water and post-treatment water are tested for bacterial, physical, and chemical standards, particularly pH, color, and turbidity. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 established maximum contaminant levels, which are the national drinking water standards. These apply to any water distribution system that serves at least twenty-five units daily. Standards may vary from state to state, but they cannot be lower than those prescribed by the federal government"

Drinking Water Have You Ever Forgotten to
Words: 733 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Drinking Water Have you ever forgotten to water your houseplants or garden? What do you notice? When you give the plants water, what do you see happening? Likely, within a few moments, you see the plant begin to perk up, to stretch, and to look healthier. Well, our bodies are similar in that water is an essential part of our daily intake -- every cell, tissue and organ in our bodies

Water Crisis and Water
Words: 3059 Length: 9 Document Type: Research Paper

publicized Water Crisis at Michigan's Flint city, which first emerged in the year 2014. In specific, it will address associated challenges and concepts, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the issue, and solutions and recommendations in order to resolve the issue. Situated about 70 miles to the north of Michigan's largest city, Detroit, the city of Flint is home to 98,310 inhabitants, of which an alarming 41.6%

Water Legislation Origins of Environmental
Words: 11427 Length: 37 Document Type: Dissertation

The Leblanc alkali production processes were especially pernicious, but they followed along the lines of previous industrial processes. In other words, the first British environmental legislation was a response not so much to a qualitative change in industrial processes and their environmental impact but more to a quantitative increase in sources of pollution that had up to that point been (if only barely) tolerable. Legislation Arising From Public Anger At the

"Fouling Our Nest" From Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis
Words: 928 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The New River in California is so polluted that border patrol agents will not venture in, even when undocumented workers are crossing (Glennon 68). Another source of contamination is the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline, which significantly worsens the risks posed by gasoline spills. Gas spills with MTBE are much worse than regular gas spills because they penetrate the surface rather than hovering above --

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now