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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
2005-P-00021
August 22, 2005
Why We Did This Review
We conducted this review to
determine the progress made
by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and
its partners to protect drinking
water from contamination
from source to consumer.
Background
The Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) Amendments of
1996 contain provisions to
help States and water systems
improve public health
protection. The provisions
include:
•	Assessing water sources.
•	Certifying system
operators.
•	Improving the technical,
managerial, and financial
capacity of water systems.
•	Providing funding for
infrastructure
improvements.
•	Providing funding to States.
•	Keeping the public
informed.
For further information,
please contact our Office of
Congressional and Public
Liaison at (202) 566-2391.
To view the full report,
click on the following link:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2005/
20050822-2005-P-00021 .pdf
To view a supplemental report
with additional details, click on:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2005/
20050822-2005-P-00021A.pdf
Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Progress Report on Drinking Water Protection Efforts
What We Found
EPA and the States in this sample are making progress at helping water systems
better reach Congress" goal of protecting drinking water from its source to the
consumer. EPA worked to develop guidance and provide other assistance for
States, and oversee State programs. The flexibility of the 1996 SDWA
Amendments enabled States to better tailor drinking water protection approaches
to meet their needs. Because of the SDWA Amendments of 1996: 86 percent of
source waters are assessed and protection efforts are beginning; more water
systems have trained and certified operators; water systems are receiving
technical, managerial, and financial capacity assistance; water systems have access
to low-interest loans; and consumers are receiving more information about their
drinking water quality.
Although States have more flexibility to tailor programs to meet their needs,
challenges remain. States reported budgets as being sufficient for current
activities, though implementing new drinking water regulations and the effects of
staff retirements are concerns. States face specific challenges in implementing
certain SDWA provisions, but there are opportunities to help reduce those
obstacles to achieving safe drinking water.
EPA's measures are generally related to outputs that measure specific program
activities performed. The Agency links these activities to the long-term goal of
"Clean and Safe Water." There are difficulties in measuring progress toward its
long-term goal, however, because activity measures do not yet exist for all SDWA
provisions. EPA has limited State reporting requirements, and the integration of
various programs makes it harder to measure the impact of each program.
Measuring the long-term outcomes of drinking water programs is important in
determining whether programs produced intended results and public health is
protected.
What We Recommend
Due, in part, to the breadth of this study, we are only making recommendations in
two areas. We recommend that EPA identify methods to improve the Consumer
Confidence Report, because we found this to be pertinent to all eight States
covered by our review. We also recommend that EPA continue to develop
measures for individual SDWA provisions. We encourage the Assistant
Administrator for Water to support the drinking water program's efforts to
develop indicators based on a logic model for the Public Water System
Supervision Program.

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