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
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organizational developments within EPA, the water -hygiene program
remains an identifiable entity with essentially the same personnel
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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
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•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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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