Nancy J. Schmitt
The United States passed a Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 with amendments in 1986 and 1996. This act gives the EPA the authority to set standards for water quality and oversight over the states and water suppliers. The EPA sets the standards for the acceptable levels of the contaminants. The Act also established the process that the EPA must use to identify and list unregulated contaminants that might hold future risk to Americans. This is called the "Contaminant Candidate List".
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There are primary drinking water regulations which contain enforceable standards to protect public health. Secondary regulations include non-enforceable regulations which contain guidelines. If the guidelines are exceeded it is not seen as a public health threat because the contaminants usually cause cosmetic or aesthetic issues. This would be something like skin or tooth discoloration or the smell or taste of the water.
In August 1996, Congress passed both the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), both containing provisions calling for the screening and testing of chemicals and pesticides for possible endocrine disrupting effects. These laws require the EPA to develop a screening program that uses appropriate validated test systems and other scientifically relevant information to determine if the effect that certain substances have in humans is similar to the effect produced by a naturally occurring hormone.
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Implementation of these sections of the law has yet to happen.
All public water systems must comply with the EPA regulations and keep the level of contaminants within the acceptable limits. There are a number of organizations involved in enforcing and monitoring the levels of contaminants. However, the Safe Drinking Water Act does not apply to bottled water. That is covered under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC )is interested in any elevated amount of microbes that may cause a specific disease outbreak.
The World Health Organization(WHO) also monitors and establishes standards for the world's water supply. Their interest is primarily in undeveloped countries and establishing proper sewage treatment facilities.
Reports of local water testing are often mentioned in local newspapers and contain any unusual results if there is cause for public concern.