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Small Drinking Water Systems Research and Development
Citation:
Latham, M. AND K. Massey. Small Drinking Water Systems Research and Development. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, EPA/600/F-16/187, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
To share EPA's small drinking water systems research with the states, small systems, and the public.
Description:
In the United States, there are 152,002 public water systems (PWS) in operation. Of these, 97% are considered small systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)—meaning they serve 10,000 or fewer people. While many of these small systems consistently provide safe, reliable drinking water to their customers, many face a number of challenges in their ability to achieve and maintain system sustainability. Some of these include high operator turnover, aging infrastructure, and lack of financial resources. Oftentimes, small communities and their state primacy agencies are reluctant to use novel approaches to drinking water challenges because they may have hidden costs or result in unforeseen health consequences for the community. EPA’s Office of Research and Development is helping to build confidence in innovative treatment technologies and approaches by conducting research that small communities, including tribal communities, and state primacy agencies can rely on to successfully remove contaminants of interest, without compromising the overall sustainability of their system.