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Drinking Water Standards
Based on the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established drinking water standards for 20 health-related contaminants including arsenic, nitrate, bacteria, radioactivity, heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and several pesticides. The standards do not presently include many other contaminants sometimes found in drinking water. Drinking water standards and guidelines place a ceiling on contaminant levels in the drinking water supplied by the public water systems, regardless of whether the source is groundwater or surface water. When a standard or guideline is exceeded in a municipal or community water system, the state requires the operator of the system to take corrective steps. These steps can include treating the water through filtration or aeration, blending water from several sources to reduce contaminant levels in the system, or constructing a new well. There is no regulation for ensuring that private wells meet safe drinking water standards. However, private well owners can have their wells tested and use federal drinking water standards as a guide for assessing water quality.
- EPA's Ground Water and Drinking Water
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) "Standards and Reporting Requirements for Public Water Systems" (PDF. Help with PDF.)
