EPA last week released a new annual report showing that 94 percent of American water systems reported no violations of health-based drinking water standards.
The study, "Providing Safe Drinking Water in America: 1998 National Public Water Systems Compliance Report," provides compliance data on public water systems in the United States.
Based on information reported by states to EPA''s computer-based tracking system, the report shows that 84 percent of all violations were of monitoring and reporting requirements -- mostly at small systems serving 3,300 or fewer people.
The report also describes steps EPA is taking to ensure the public''s right to know about the safety of their drinking water.
EPA requires water systems to provide Americans with annual reports on the safety of their local drinking water and has made drinking water information available at: www.epa.gov/safewater.
by Virginia Sutcliffe