Course: BFM 203 Water Treatment and Control

Lecture

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Drinking Water Regulation

In 1972, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) implemented a revised Federal Water Pollution Control Act, originally enacted in 1948). The Clean Water Act, as these revised regulations came to be called, sets wastewater standards for industry and water quality standards for all contaminants in surface water. Under this act, it is illegal to discharge any pollutant into navigable waters without a permit. Any organization that discharges wastewater directly to surface waters is required to obtain and maintain a permit.

In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in an attempt to ensure the quality of American's drinking water. Under SDWA, the EPA sets standards for water quality and governs any organization that implements these standards (states, localities, and water suppliers).

In addition to these federal regulations, the State of Colorado adopted primary drinking water regulations in 1962. These regulations have been modified many times over the years and set standards for MCL (maximum contaminant limit), MRDL (maximum residual disinfectant limit, AL (action level), and BAT (best available treatment - Technology). The following table list allowable contaminant limits as set by Colorado standards.

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels
Contaminant | Level
Aluminum | 0.05 to 0.2 mg/l
Chloride | 250 mg/l
Color | 15 color units
Copper | 1.0 mg/l
Corrosivity | Non-corrosive
Fluoride | 2.0 mg/l
Foaming Agents | 0.5 mg/l
Iron | 0.3 mg/l
Manganese | 0.05 mg/l
Odor | 3 threshold odor number
pH | 6.5 - 8.5
Silver | 0.1 mg/l
Sodium | 50 mg/l
Sulfate | 250 mg/l
Total Dissolved Solids | 500 mg/l
Zinc | 5 mg/l