EPA Seeks Public Comment on Contaminant Monitoring

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on its plan to monitor 30 unregulated contaminants in water systems as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The comment period will allow the public and other stakeholders to have their say on the selection of new contaminants for monitoring as the EPA seeks to collect data to help protect drinking water in the future.

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA regulates more than 90 contaminants in drinking water in the US, and must identify up to 30 unregulated contaminants for monitoring every five years.

The current proposal is the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation and includes requirements to look for two viruses and 28 chemical contaminants that could be present in drinking water and do not currently have health-based standards.

Following the comment, the EPA will consider the input before the list is finalised in 2012, with sampling to be conducted from 2013 to 2015.