Safe Drinking Water Act(SDWA)

passed by Congress in 1974, and ammended in 1986, to insure safe drinking water. It directs the EPA to establish and enforce water quality standards to protect public health.

An amendment to the Public Health Service Act which established primary and secondary quality standards for drinking water. The SDWA was passed in 1976 to protect public health by establishing uniform drinking water standards for the nation. In 1986 SDWA Amendments were passed that mandated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish standards for 83 drinking water contaminants by 1992 and identify an additional 25 contaminants for regulation every 3 years thereafter. See Drinking Water Standards, Drinking Water Standards (Nevada), Primary Drinking Water Standards, and Secondary Drinking Water Standards. (Also see Appendix D-5, Nevada Drinking Water Standards.)

 Commonly referred to as SDWA. An Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1974. The Act establishes a cooperative program among local, state and federal agencies to insure safe drinking water for consumers.