Question

With regard to water quality, to what extent has the Safe Drinking Water Act protected American water customers from consuming water contaminated by industrial chemicals?

Answer 1

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the federal law that provides a protection to supplies of public drinking water throughout the country. SDWA was enacted by. Congress in 1974, and was formally amended in 1986 and 1996. Under this law, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and implements with its partners with a usage of several technical and financial programs to ensure drinking water safety.

There are two identifiable ways in wherein the act is failing to meet expectations. First, problem is occurring because of a lack of enforcement of the current law. The sources indicate that PWSs frequently violate maximum contaminant levels, although still such violations go unpunished and unnoticed by the states and the EPA. Second, harm occurs because the current law is not expansive enough. The EPA's SDWA program does not provide regulations on several contaminants believed to be harmful to human health. Additionally, the SDWA excludes from regulation certain drinking water sources, such as private wells. Finally, concerns such as runoff, which neither the CWA or the SDWA directly regulate, cause human harm