Government Pushes for Safer Drinking Water

April 18, 2000
A proposal, announced yesterday, will improve drinking water quality for 109 million Americans by protecting groundwater supplies from disease-causing viruses and bacteria.

The Clinton Administration announced a proposal yesterday to improve drinking water quality for 109 million Americans by protecting groundwater supplies from disease-causing viruses and bacteria.

The proposed rule is expected to prevent more than 115,000 illnesses a year.

"This is another step by our administration to ensure that Americans enjoy the safest drinking water possible," said Vice President Al Gore. "More than 90 percent of Americans receive tap water that meets all federal health standards -- nearly 22. 5 million more than in 1993. This new proposal will bring us even closer to the day when every community in American has clean, safe drinking water."

Approximately 157,000 public water systems in the United States draw all or part of their drinking water from underground sources.

At present, the use of disinfectants to prevent waterborne disease is required only in public water systems supplied by surface waters, such as rivers, lakes and streams.

However, new research indicates that groundwater supplies also can be susceptible to contamination from a range of sources, including failed municipal sewage treatment systems and failed individual septic systems.

Under the new rule proposed by EPA, states would be required to survey all drinking water systems, and ground water systems at risk of contamination would be required to monitor their sources and take corrective action such as disinfecting to address any contamination found.

Drinking water suppliers using ground water also would be required to fix defects in their systems that could lead to contamination.

The proposed rule would not affect private wells serving individual homes.

EPA recommends that private well owners test their wells annually for coliform bacteria.

"This administration has made delivering safe, healthy drinking water to communities throughout the country a major priority," said EPA Administrator Carol Browner. "This announcement further builds on our communities healthier."

EPA will take public comment on the proposed Ground Water Rule for 60 days.

For more information go to the agency's Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater/ gwr.html.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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