Water: Safe Drinking Water Act
Laws & RegulationsRegulatory InformationSafe Drinking Water ActCurrent Drinking Water RegulationsCurrent Drinking Water Regulations
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets legal limits on the levels of certain contaminants in drinking water. The legal limits reflect both the level that protects human health and the level that water systems can achieve using the best available technology. Besides prescribing these legal limits, EPA rules set water-testing schedules and methods that water systems must follow. The rules also list acceptable techniques for treating contaminated water. SDWA gives individual states the opportunity to set and enforce their own drinking water standards if the standards are at least as strong as EPA's national standards. Most states and territories directly oversee the water systems within their borders.
- Where can I find information about chemical contaminants that EPA regulates?
- Where can I find information about how EPA regulates the treatment of microbial contaminants in drinking water sources?
- Where can I find information about unregulated contaminants?
- More information about contaminants of interest
- Compliance Guidance
Where can I find information about chemical contaminants that EPA regulates?
- Arsenic in Drinking Water
- Chemical Phase Rules
- Lead and Copper Rule
- Contaminants Basic Information
- National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
- National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations
- Radionuclides in Drinking Water
Where can I find information about how EPA regulates the treatment of microbial contaminants in drinking water sources?
- Microbials & Disinfection Byproducts
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- Filter Backwash Recycling Rule
- Ground Water Rule
- Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Long Term 1 Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Long Term 2 Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Stage 1 Disinfectant/Disinfection Byproducts Rule
- Stage 2 Disinfectant/Disinfection Byproducts Rule
- Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Total Coliform Rule
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Where can I find information about unregulated contaminants?
EPA uses the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring (UCM) program to collect data for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water, but that do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Every five years EPA reviews the list of contaminants, largely based on the Contaminant Candidate List
- EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Program
- Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate Lists & Regulatory Determinations