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EPA PROPOSES CHANGES IN DRINKING WATER PUBLIC NOTIFICATION RULES
Release Date: 05/13/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1999
EPA PROPOSES CHANGES IN DRINKING WATER
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION RULES
Public water systems must notify their customers when they violate EPA or state drinking water standards or provide drinking water that may pose a risk to consumers’ health. Under l996 revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA is proposing revisions to the existing public notification rule to more specifically tailor the form, manner and timing of the notices to the relative risk to health. The proposal will require water systems to provide notice within 24 hours for violations posing an acute risk to health from short-term exposure. The current regulation requires such notices within 72 hours. The proposal also will allow water systems to group minor violations into a single annual report, rather than meet the existing requirement to provide separate notices within three months. The proposed rule is closely aligned with the related Consumer Confidence Report regulation, which requires community water systems to issue an annual report on drinking water quality. The proposal was published in the Federal Register on May 13. EPA is requesting public comment through July 13 and has scheduled four public meetings. A fact sheet, copy of the proposal, and a draft public notification handbook are available at: https://www.epa.gov/safewater. The general public can register for the public meetings or get additional information about public notification from EPA’s drinking water hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
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