C153376 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I It is recognized that the violations of the drinking water standards do not necessarily mean that the consumer's health is in danger, the reason being is that the limit on the amount of each substance allowed in the drinking water has been based on the consumer drinking a little more than two quarts of water everyday for a lifetime without adverse health effects. This large safety margin was built into most standards so that the consumer will not be harmed even if the water he drinks exceeds some of the maximum contaminant levels for a short period of time. In essence, Congress has said in the Safe Drinking Water Act that the consumer has the right to expect water that meets minimum national standards for protection of public health. He ~lso has the right to be told and the water supplier must tell him if that water does not meet those standards. If adequate steps are not taken to correct violations of the Safe Orinking Water Act, the consumer has the additional right to bring suit against the Town for violating the law. The drinking water standards established by the EPA reflect the best scientific and technical judgment available. These regulations have been published for review and have been subjected to Public Hearings before they went into effect. The regulations set achievable levels of drinking water quality to protect the public's health. They are called interim regulations because research continues on drinking water contaminants. The existing standards may be strengthened and new standards may be established for other substances based on the studies presently being conducted by the National Academy of Science, EPA and others. EPA has established standards for ten chemicals, six pesticides, bacteria, radioactivity and turbidity. Most of these substances occur naturally in our . . III~2 ~