When Will Enough be Enough?: Fid-Bau Portal

When Will Enough be Enough?

Roberson, J. Alan

This article discusses the increase in the number of contaminants required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1986 to be analyzed under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory development process, and the challenge that lies ahead in conducting analyses on the 116 contaminants on the Third Contaminant Candidate List (CCL3). The article discusses whether there is a need for more drinking water regulations, or if the focus now needs to be on other issues such as bringing all water systems in compliance with the existing regulations and addressing the challenges of rebuilding entire distribution systems. A risk‐balancing discussion is needed on whether not passing new regulations outweighs the risk of not investing in infrastructure, staff training/advancement, and other programs that result in advancements at the local level. The article mentions AWWA's efforts through the Water Industry Technical Action Fund to collect data and conduct the appropriate analyses to better inform the regulatory development process.