UNITED-STATES DRINKING-WATER REGULATIONS - TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES ANDCOST

The Safe Drinking Water Act and its Amendments have imposed a large nu mber of new regulations on the U.S. drinking-water industry. A major s et of regulations currently under consideration will control disinfect ants and disinfection by-products. Included in the development of thes e regulations is an Information Collection Rule and an Enhanced Surfac e Water Treatment Rule. These rules will require monitoring for microo rganisms such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and viruses. Certain surfac e-water systems may be required to remove microbiological contaminants above levels currently required by the Surface Water Treatment Rule. Also included in these rules will be monitoring requirements for disin fection by-products and evaluation of precursor removal technologies. As various regulations are promulgated, regulators and those associate d with the drinking-water industry need to be cognizant of the potenti al impact of treatment to control one contaminant or group of contamin ants on control of other contaminants. Compliance with drinking-water regulations mandated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and its amendme nts has been estimated to cost about $1.6 billion.