Water Supply in EPA
         F. Donald Maddox, P.E.
         Acting Regional Representative
         Water Hygiene Program, Region V

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     With Reorganization Plan Number 3 of 1970 which became effective


December 3, 1970? the Bureau of Water Hygiene with its responsibilities


under DREW became a part of the Environmental-Protection Agency.


     Primary activities under DREW included:


     1.  Establish and up-date the Drinking Water Standards.


     2.  Carry out the provisions of the Interstate Quarantine


     Regulations regarding interstate carrier water supplies.


     3.  Provide a research and technical assistance program on health


     effects of man's use of water for drinking, recreation, food


     production and other purposes.


     k.  Provide specialized technical services regarding public water


     supplies.


     5. Fulfill responsibilities of the Secretary of DHEW on the


     public health aspects of water resource planning.


     6.  Provide consultation to FWPCA on the'health aspects of


     water pollution.


     Although our role in some of these activities has changed with

                                                  •Sw^yvlM
organizational developments within EPA, the water -hygiene program


remains an identifiable entity with essentially the same personnel

                                                          SuppAy
responsible for the same activities.  Placement of water hygiene/in


EPA has improved our national visibility and has strengthened our


efforts to provide Federal assistance to the water supply industry.


     Mr. Ruckelshaus has placed a high priority on our responsibilities


for the protection of public drinking water.   The budget for water

£npp(w
•hygifene has been almost doubled for this fiscal year with 2/3 of that

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budget addressed to increased research needs.  In addition our placement

                                 Sc^fop/y
in EPA makes available to water hygienqr  resources specific to


environmental interests developed by the larger water pollution control


program.  These resources include public relations personnel and facilities,


training facilities, manpower development programs, field and research


facilities, and management assistance.  We are still learning how


these tools can best be used to assist the water supply industry in


its role of providing safe drinking water to the public.

           Supplu
     Water HygJGtJe Program activities under EPA can best be described


by considering the former DHEW water supply activities as they are


now administered by EPA



Update the Drinking Water Standards


     Following the development of the 1962 Standards,  the Public


Health Service, in 19&3, established'an Advisory Committee on the


Use of the Public Health Service Drinking Wat&r Standards.  This


committee continued to appraise the quality requirements for drinking


water, and in June 19&7 recommended several changes and additions to


the Standards including maximum permissible concentrations for boron,


fluorides as related to maximum daily air temperatures,  nitrate plus


nitrite as N, uranyl ion, and for 12 pesticides -and combinations of


pesticides.  These changes were not officially adopted because, in the


opinion of the General Counsel of DHEW, they were not  authorized under


existing legislation.

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     Recognizing the need for updating the current standards,  the
      S*ppk
Water Hygionfe Program under EPA organized a technical Task Force on

Revision of Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards. This

Task Force recently completed its reevaluation of information  on

several components of drinking water.

     The recommended changes include:

     1.  Specification of a general bacterial population (standard

     plate count) of 500 per USB ml for water delivered to the consumer.

     2.  Substitution of chlorine residual determinations for  bacterial

     samples (with strict control specified).

     3.  Identification of the chemical standards as  health related

     or aesthetic.

     k.  Increase of the arsenic standard to 0.1 mg/1.

     5.  Reduction of turbidity to 1 unit and of odor to 2 units.

     6.  Addition of sodium at 2?0 mg/1, mercury at .005 mg/1, and

     various pesticides.

     7.  Deletion of phenols and TDS.

     8.  Nitrate to be specified as N, ABS nane changed to Foaming  Agents,

     CCE to organic carbon absorbable with CCE, 0.3 and'CAS, 1.5.

     9.  Changes in radiological standards.

     Mr. Ruckelshaus has recently appointed a Public  Advisory  Committee

to review the results of the technical task force efforts. Their first

meeting will be held in December and it is hoped that the new  standards

will be in print within a year.

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Interstate Carrier Water Supplies

               ^G^ppi^
     The Water Hygiene. Program will continue to certify interstate

carrier water supplies annually and will conduct periodic surveys

of selected supplies.  In order to compile prior directives governing

the operation of the ICWS program and to provide specific criteria

to be used in classifying a system, the "Guide for the Interstate

Carrier Water Supply Certification Program"was prepared and became

effective October 1, 1971.  Copies of this guide, which was prepared

with the cooperation of the Water and Wastewater Committee of the CSSE,

have been made available to the managers of all ICWS through the various

states.  This'guide replaces the Approved, Provisionally Approved, and

Prohibited classifications with Approved, Provisionally Approved (Quality),

Provisionally Approved (Bacteriological Monitoring), Provisionally

Approved (Facility), Provisionally Approved (Operation), Provisionally

Approved (No Current Report), and Prohibited classifications.  There
                                            \
are now 90 interstate carrier water supplies in Region V including

every city of more than 100,000 people with the exception of Ft. Wayne,

Indiana and Dearborn, Michigan.

Basic and Applied Research
                                          SV^ply
     Great strides in expanding the Water "Sygieare Program's research

efforts have been made in the past two years,  fhere are now k labora-

tories strategically located in the States of Rliode Island, Alabama,

Washington, and Ohio.  These laboratories are equipped and staffed to

conduct research and technological studies in bacteriology, virology,

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organic and inorganic chemistry, and related sciences.  The Cincinnati,




Ohio laboratory features equipment and engineering competency to




conduct research in water treatment and apply this knowledge to pilot




plant studies.  The other three laboratories, being located on the




sea coast, can also conduct studies on marine estuaries on recreational




and food production uses of water.




Technical Services




     Technical services include training programs; evaluation of State




programs; dissemination of information resulting from research, special




studies, or other sources; and assistance in emergencies.




     Training courses offered either at Cincinnati or through field




presentations have been greatly expanded in FY 1972.  11 courses are




being offered in Cincinnati and 13 courses are scheduled in the field.




The field courses deal primarily with fluoride application and monitoring.




In addition, we propose to support, as much as possible, State sponsored




short courses for water plant operators.  If requested we will supply




lecturers on those subjects you believe we are qualified to present.




These lecturers can be provided from our regional, Cincinnati, or




headquarters offices.




     In the Regional office we are particularly concerned with providing




liaison to each of the State training programs in order to increase




cooperation between the States and make Federal assistance more




readily available.  We are currently examining the potential for




utilizing the manpower development programs of DHEW and Labor to train




water treatment plant operators.

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     Several States have asked the Water •fiyglony Program to provide

assistance by reviewing their programs to identify deficiencies and

make recommendations concerning the needed staff and facility im-

provements.  Such studies have been completed or are in progress in

Vermont, Tennessee, New Mexico, Maryland, Wyoming, Idaho and Kentucky.

Through State program evaluations we hope we can help the States

get the legislative and financial help they need in public water

supply surveillance.


Public Health Aspects of Water Resource Planning

     Within DREW the Water Hygiene Program was responsible for pro-

viding DHEW liaison with other Federal and State agencies as well as

coordinating and providing technical input on health aspects of water

resource planning and municipal water supply.  As a part of EPA we

have been relieved of the liaison function and are now responsible only
                                             \
for providing technical input on health aspects seed municipal water

supply.  Liaison and review is provided by the EPA Planning Branch

on framework and basin plans and by the EPA Federal Activities Branch

on Federally sponsored projects.


Health Aspects of Water Pollution

     This service is still provided to the water pollution control

branches of EFA.  The establishment of EPA has maae the liaison

required for this activity easier.

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     In short the transfer of the Water Hygiene Program from DEE/I to




EPA has emphasized our mandate to assist the water supply industry in




providing safe water to the public.




     Ad Mr. Ruckelshaus stated in Denver "Pollution control alone




cannot now assure a safe supply of drinking water - this the public




should understand.  Both today and henceforth,  safe tap water is going




to depend upon efficient municipal water treatment and distribution.




... I pledge the support of EPA in this effort  to gain public under-




standing of what water utilities have done and  can still do to make




drinking water safe for the consumer."

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