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18 position Statement . Safe Drinking Water Supphes (Proposed ResolullOn 97 -7) . blic drinking water supplies is of .lon of safe pu b f this AssoCiatIon as y importanCe to the mem ers 0 ess enacted the Safe . to the nation generally. Congr. . the , WA) in 1974 dlfecllng ng Water Act (SD . tal p;otection Agency to ,istrator of the Envlfonm;n standards (42 U .s.C. Sec.. tional drinking water qu ny 1986 (PL 99-339) by ded that Act m et seq.); amen other things, set :ing the Administrator to, a70ng d reauthorized the Act mum contaminant level goa s, an . ts and changes. 96 with major ,mprovemen roducts such as paint and I contamination of consumer I' s EP A through line has been a prob~;m ~~t::~Ys~::er~, has ' an on lead m gasoII .' I' ental lead exposure. ificantly reduced envlfonm I ss than 10 percent of an d . ater makes up e ,onally, lea m w . . effort to assure safe . ak In the contmumg . It's lead mt e.. EP A and others are developmg ,king water supplIes, ainst lead , nt methods to protect ag ie stnnge Ilamination. . . n in water occurs as a result of p~or )stlead contanunauo . and fittings in constructmg , of lead-bearing solder, p,p~ businesses. The 1986 ,mbing systems m h~;s a~~ed a general prohibition on .endments to Ihe SD. \ling or repairing plumbmg f lead matenals for mSla eO 6) stems (42 U.S.c. 300g , finalized regulations establishing n June 7,1991. EPA 1 d' drl'nking water supplies. . "ffilze ea m . I quirements to num ttechnique of opllma . d ts a treatmen he regulallon a op . d cation lead service line JTrosion control, public e u t' ent to reduce lead levels :placement and source water trea m , drinking water. . l' the final regulation, 'PA, in addition to ,mplemen mtgexposures to lead from - h blic agamS hould protect t e pu f rce the ban on the use t" uing loen 0 lrinking water by con'~. home plumbing systems as ,f lead-bearing malena s m 160S 19 required by SDW A. Enforcement at the source of pollution is more effective and efficient than requiring water purveyors to introduce corrective measures. CRWUA supports the definition of "control by the supplier" that clearly specifies plumbing owned and operated by the supplier. While public water suppliers may be able to reduce the corrosivity of their drinking water, homeowners are responsible for lead leaching from their own pipes. Scientific and technical regulations, such as the final lead regulation, must be developed allowing public input. If Congress does not believe that the lead regulation is stringent enough, it should legislatively direct EP A to craft more stringent requirements. In this regard, public water suppliers should support a mandatory public education program. More stringent treatment technique requirements are not feasible, cost-effective or more health protective. These requirements, on the other hand, would cost water users millions of dollars without significant improvement in public exposure to lead in the environment generally. Radon is a serious inhalation health concern in some areas with a minimal contribution from the drinking water supply, Because the Safe Drinking Water Act requires the regulation of radon in drinking water, public water suppliers should have adequate flexibility to minimize the radon water lcontribution at a reasonable cost, when the radon in the water contributes meaningfully to the airborne radon levels. Most importantly, public education programs should be supported to educate the public on ways to control radon in residential homes and buildings. Recent experience and investigations indicate that disposal of solid waste in dump sites overlying community groundwater supplies can pose a serious threat of contamination to those supplies. particularly where those sites are located in highly permeable areas that provide little or no opponunity [0 correct failures of containment systems. The federal government already exercises authority over such dump sites under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (ReRA) in cooperation with state and local agencies.