History of Water Testing Regulations and Standards in United States
- Published:
- Updated: January 2, 2025
Summary
In the United States, the history of drinking water regulations and standards dates back to the early 1900s when the US Public Health Service (PHS) established voluntary guidelines for water treatment and testing. These guidelines aimed to improve the quality of drinking water across the country. However, inconsistent water quality persisted until the enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974. The SDWA empowered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set national standards for contaminants in drinking water and required regular testing by public water systems.
Water that’s clean and safe is a fundamental need for the health and wellbeing of the people. In the US, consuming safe water is a joint federal and state obligation.
The First Water Testing Regulations and Standards
Water testing was the first regulated in the United States in the early 20th century. There was no set testing process for water in NYC then. Such non-standardisation resulted in dispersed water quality. The US Public Health Service (PHS) reacted by developing the first national drinking-water standards in 1914. They were voluntary standards for water treatment and testing and aimed to make water from cities and towns better.
Even under the PHS rules, the quality of the drinking water was uneven nationwide. This led the federal government to take more steps to manage the quality of water for drinking. It was 1974, the year the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) became the single federal law that regulates the quality of drinking water in the United States. SDWA mandates that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establish national drinking water standards for contaminants potentially harmful to health. The law also obliges public water utilities to regularly test their water and report back to the EPA and state departments.
The Agency Responsible for Water Testing Regulations
Water testing laws and standards in the United States are enforced by the EPA, the government agency that actually does most of the enforcement. The EPA was created in 1970 as a branch of the federal government concerned with environment and health. The EPA regulates drinking water standards at the national level, tracks compliance from public water supply and imposes fines for noncompliance. EPA also provides technical and financial assistance to public water utilities to help them meet federal regulations and standards.
Water testing rules and regulations are enforced as well by state and local governments. The state departments are in charge of monitoring the compliance of public water sources on their territories, and the imposing of fines for non-compliance. Even municipal authorities can contribute to the supply of good drinking water – especially small water systems that aren’t regulated by the EPA.
The Safe Drinking Water Act
The United States has the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which is the main federal legislation controlling the quality of drinking water. The SDWA passed in 1974, and it has been revised several times to strengthen the rules and standards for drinking water. The SDWA mandates the EPA establish national drinking water standards for contaminants with potential health hazards. The bill also requires municipal water systems to test their water frequently and report it to the EPA and other state departments.
SDWA wants public water utilities to report when a customer’s drinking water is compromised and take action to remedy it. The SDWA also mandates that the EPA offer technical and financial assistance to public water utilities for compliance with federal laws and standards. The SDWA has been amended multiple times over the years to account for the new technology in water treatment and testing, and the realisation of the health dangers of contaminants in a person’s drinking water.
Evolution of Water Testing Regulations and Standards
The rules and guidelines on water testing in the US have adapted over the years to reflect new water treatment and testing technologies and awareness of the health impacts of contaminants in drinking water. And in 1986, the SDWA was amended to direct the EPA to establish standards for new pollutants and to make current standards more rigorously monitored and enforced. The SDWA was amended in 1996 again to require that public water providers tell customers when their water has contaminated it, and to correct the problem.
The EPA has also recently been doing something about new contaminants – pharmaceuticals and personal care products – in drinking water. The EPA has a research programme to develop knowledge about the prevalence and health impacts of these contaminants, and it’s collaborating with public water systems to find effective treatment technologies to decontaminate water.
Regulated Contaminants and Maximum Contaminant Levels
The SDWA requires that the EPA set standards for many different contaminants that might be found in drinking water, including bacteria, viruses, chemicals and radioactive elements. The EPA sets maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for each contaminant – the most contaminant permitted in drinking water. The MCLs are based on best science and are intended to safeguard public health.
The EPA has an MCL for lead of 15 parts per billion, the most you can get in drinking water. The EPA sets MCLs for other contaminants like arsenic, chloroform, and nitrates so human drinking water is not poison. The EPA continually revises and adjusts drinking water standards in accordance with science and so as to keep them public health safe.
Ensuring the Accuracy and Reliability of Water Testing Results
Water testing results should also be properly quality-controlled by EPA laboratories who perform water testing, so the accuracy and confidence of the results will be ensured. These standards have to be adhered to and procedures followed by laboratories to warrant their results. The EPA also periodically audits laboratories and enforces them where they fall short.
Almost all public water utilities must run water tests every few years to make sure that the water it provides is up to federal standards. All public water systems must have tested done by accredited laboratories and submit the results to the EPA and the states. And the EPA and state governments also periodically inspect public water systems to make sure they meet federal regulations and standards.
State and Local Governments' Role in Water Testing Regulations
In the United States, water testing rules and regulations are implemented and enforced by state and local governments. State agencies are in charge of checking that the public water systems located in their territories are compliant and of fines and sanctions for non-compliance. Even the municipal level can help protect the health of water from contaminants in small water systems that the EPA doesn’t regulate.
It can be local governments that impose local laws requiring public water utilities to maintain water quality. Municipalities can give public water utilities technical and financial support to bring them into line with federal regulations and standards. Federal, state and local governments are needed to work together to protect the drinking water of the United States.
Ensuring Compliance with Federal Regulations and Standards
EPA and the state government use a range of techniques to make sure public water systems are up to federal standards and regulations. The EPA and state governments could periodically inspect public water systems to verify compliance with federal regulations and standards. Enforcement of violations can also be imposed by the EPA and state departments on public water systems, either by a fine or an order for corrective action.
EPA offers technical and financial support to public water systems so they can meet federal regulations and standards. EPA can fund public water systems to upgrade or buy new treatment plants. The EPA could also offer technical assistance to public water agencies to make them aware of federal regulations and standards and to develop compliance plans.
The EPA and state agencies also offer training and education for water system owners and managers to make sure public water systems continue to function effectively in the future. This education and training equips water system operators and managers with knowledge of federal regulations and standards, best practices for water treatment and testing.
Drinking water safety is federal, state, and local government’s collective duty in the US. The EPA is the main federal agency in charge of water testing regulations and standards and state and local governments are in charge of administering and enforced these regulations and standards. As a matter of fact, water testing laws and standards in the US have changed over time in light of improved water treatment and testing technologies, and awareness of the public health hazards associated with contaminants in drinking water. By co-operating, federal, state and local governments can ensure that all Americans have clean and safe water.
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