EPA Completes Review of Existing Drinking Water Standards

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a periodic review of existing National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs). EPA completed its review of 69 NPDWRs that were established prior to 1997 including 68 chemical NPDWRs and the Total Coliform Rule (TCR). The intended purpose of the review was to identify those NPDWRs for which current health risk assessments, changes in technology, and/or other factors, provide a health or technological basis to support a regulatory revision that will maintain or improve public health protection.

EPA published its protocol for the review of NPDWRs and its preliminary revise/not revise decisions for the 69 NPDWRs in the April 17, 2002, edition of the Federal Register (67 FR 19030 [USEPA, 2002g]) in order to seek comment from the public. Today's action briefly describes the major comments, other new information, and EPA's current revise/not revise decisions for the 69 NPDWRs.

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