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AIRCRAFT DRINKING WATER RULE
Citation:
Impact/Purpose:
The proposed Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR) is intended to enhance public health with a tailored approach to regulating public water systems on airplanes.
Description:
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), any interstate carrier conveyance (ICC) that regularly serves drinking water to an average of at least 25 individuals daily, at least 60 days per year, is subject to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). An ICC is a carrier which conveys passengers in interstate commerce. The classes of ICCs include airplanes, trains, buses, and water vessels. The U.S. EPA is responsible for developing and implementing the NPDWRs for all public water systems, including public water systems on ICCs. The existing NPDWRs were designed for traditional, stationary public water systems, not mobile aircraft water systems that are operationally very different. Aircraft must maintain rigorous operating schedules and can fly to multiple destinations throughout the course of any given day, potentially boarding drinking water from sources at any of these destinations. Aircraft board water from airport watering points via temporary connections. Aircraft drinking water safety depends on a number of factors including the quality of the water that is boarded from these multiple sources, the care used to board the water, and the operation and maintenance of the onboard water system as well as the water transfer equipment (such as water cabinets, trucks, carts, and hoses). These unique operational characteristics present different challenges that necessitate tailoring of the NPDWRs for aircraft PWSs in the proposed Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR). The proposed ADWR only addresses aircraft within U.S. jurisdiction; however, EPA is supporting an international effort led by the World Health Organization to develop international guidelines for aircraft drinking water. The proposed ADWR applies to the onboard water system only. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulating the watering points that include the water cabinets, carts, trucks, and hoses from which aircraft board water.