1 106TH CONGRESS !"S. PRT. 2nd Session COMMITTEE PRINT 106±59 THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AS AMENDED BY THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT OF 1996 PUBLIC LAW 104±182, AUGUST 6, 1996 Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 67±528 CC WASHINGTON : 2000 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS BOB SMITH, New Hampshire, Chairman JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN, New York CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri HARRY REID, Nevada GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio BOB GRAHAM, Florida MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah BARBARA BOXER, California KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas RON WYDEN, Oregon LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island DAVE CONOVER, Staff Director TOM SLITER, Minority Staff Director (II) TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR TITLE XIV OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT (``SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT'') 1 TITLE XIVÐSAFETY OF PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS Sec. 1400. Short title .............................................................................................. 1 PART AÐDEFINITIONS Sec. 1401. Definitions ............................................................................................ 1 PART BÐPUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS Sec. 1411. Coverage ............................................................................................... 4 Sec. 1412. National drinking water regulations .................................................. 4 Sec. 1413. State primary enforcement responsibility .......................................... 24 Sec. 1414. Enforcement of drinking water regulations ....................................... 25 Sec. 1415. Variances .............................................................................................. 36 Sec. 1416. Exemptions ........................................................................................... 42 Sec. 1417. Prohibition on use of lead pipes, solder, and flux ............................. 46 Sec. 1418. Monitoring of contaminants ................................................................ 48 Sec. 1419. Operator certification ........................................................................... 51 Sec. 1420. Capacity development .......................................................................... 52 PART CÐPROTECTION OF UNDERGROUND SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER Sec. 1421. Regulations for State programs .......................................................... 56 Sec. 1422. State primary enforcement responsibility .......................................... 58 Sec. 1423. Enforcement of program ...................................................................... 60 Sec. 1424. Interim regulation of underground injections .................................... 63 Sec. 1425. Optional demonstration by States relating to oil or natural gas ..... 64 Sec. 1426. Regulation of State programs ............................................................. 65 Sec. 1427. Sole source aquifer demonstration program ...................................... 65 Sec. 1428. State programs to establish wellhead protection areas .................... 69 Sec. 1429. State ground water protection grants ................................................. 72 PART DÐEMERGENCY POWERS Sec. 1431. Emergency powers ............................................................................... 73 Sec. 1432. Tampering with public water systems ............................................... 74 PART EÐGENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 1441. Assurance of availability of adequate supplies of chemicals nec- essary for treatment of water .............................................................................. 75 Sec. 1442. Research, technical assistance, information, training of personnel . 77 Sec. 1443. Grants for State programs .................................................................. 81 Sec. 1444. Special study and demonstration project grants; guaranteed loans 85 Sec. 1445. Records and inspections ...................................................................... 86 Sec. 1446. National Drinking Water Advisory Council ....................................... 92 Sec. 1447. Federal agencies ................................................................................... 93 Sec. 1448. Judicial review ..................................................................................... 96 Sec. 1449. Citizen's civil action ............................................................................. 97 Sec. 1450. General provisions ............................................................................... 98 Sec. 1451. Indian tribes ......................................................................................... 101 Sec. 1452. State revolving loan funds ................................................................... 102 1 This table of contents is not part of title XIV of the Public Health Service Act but is set forth for the convenience of the users of this publication. (III) IV Page Sec. 1453. Source water quality assessment ......................................................... 112 Sec. 1454. Source water petition program ............................................................ 113 Sec. 1455. Water conservation plan ...................................................................... 117 Sec. 1456. Assistance to colonias ........................................................................... 118 Sec. 1457. Estrogenic substances screening program ........................................... 118 Sec. 1458. Drinking water studies ........................................................................ 119 PART FÐADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO REGULATE THE SAFETY OF DRINKING WATER Sec. 1461. Definitions ............................................................................................ 121 Sec. 1462. Recall of drinking water coolers with lead-lined tanks .................... 122 Sec. 1463. Drinking water coolers containing lead ............................................. 122 Sec. 1464. Lead contamination in school drinking water ................................... 123 Sec. 1465. øSchool drinking water¿ Federal assistance for State programs regarding lead contamination in school drinking water ................................... 124 THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AS AMENDED BY THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT OF 1996 NOTE Amendments made by Public Law 104±182 are shown as follows: Existing law omitted is enclosed in øblack brackets¿, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change occurs is shown in roman: TITLE XIV OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT (THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT) 1 [As amended by P.L. 104±182, August 6, 1996] TITLE XIVÐSAFETY OF PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS SHORT TITLE SEC. 1400. This title may be cited as the ``Safe Drinking Water Act''. PART AÐDEFINITIONS DEFINITIONS SEC. 1401. For purposes of this title: (1) The term ``primary drinking water regulation'' means a regulation whichÐ (A) applies to public water systems; (B) specifies contaminants which, in the judgment of the Administrator, may have any adverse effect on the health of persons; (C) specifies for each such contaminant eitherÐ (i) a maximum contaminant level, if, in the judg- ment of the Administrator, it is economically and tech- nologically feasible to ascertain the level of such con- taminant in water in public water systems, or (ii) if, in the judgment of the Administrator, it is not economically or technologically feasible to so ascer- 1 This title, the ``Safe Drinking Water Act'', consists of title XIV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300f±300j±9) as added by Public Law 93±523 (Dec. 16, 1974) and the amend- ments made by subsequent enactments. (1) 2 tain the level of such contaminant, each treatment technique known to the Administrator which leads to a reduction in the level of such contaminant sufficient to satisfy the requirements of section 1412; and (D) contains criteria and procedures to assure a supply of drinking water which dependably complies with such maximum contaminant levels; including accepted methods for quality control and testing procedures to insure compli- ance with such levels and to insure proper operation and maintenance of the system, and requirements as to (i) the minimum quality of water which may be taken into the system and (ii) siting for new facilities for public water systems. At any time after promulgation of a regulation re- ferred to in this paragraph, the Administrator may add equally effective quality control and testing procedures by guidance published in the Federal Register. Such proce- dures shall be treated as an alternative for public water systems to the quality control and testing procedures listed in the regulation. (2) The term ``secondary drinking water regulation'' means a regulation which applies to public water systems and which specifies the maximum contaminant levels which, in the judg- ment of the Administrator, are requisite to protect the public welfare. Such regulations may apply to any contaminant in drinking water (A) which may adversely affect the odor or ap- pearance of such water and consequently may cause a substan- tial number of the persons served by the public water system providing such water to discontinue its use, or (B) which may otherwise adversely affect the public welfare.