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,...
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