Abstract |
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996 require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop several new drinking water regulations, A group of these regulations, known as the Microbial and Disinfection Byproduct (M-DBP) Rules, addresses two key public health concerns: acute threats from microbial contamination and chronic threats from disinfectant residuals and byproducts of disinfection. EPA recognizes that some Public Water Systems (PWSs) may encounter technological conflicts when trying to meet the goals of the different regulations. Because each of these rules has equivalent stature in the law and requires simultaneous compliance, the goal of one rule cannot be undermined in favor of the goal of another. This guidance manual describes many of the potential conflicts that may arise as systems comply with these rules, and provides possible solutions and approaches to resolve these conflicts. |