December 09, 2020
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (“ASDWA”) provided recommendations from the states on the National Drinking Water Program through a document titled:
Transition Brief for Incoming Administration (“Brief”)
ASDWA describes itself as the professional association serving state drinking water programs and the voice for state primacy agents with Congress, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and other professional organizations.
The ASDWA Brief notes by way of introduction that state and territorial drinking water agencies “implement an array of initiatives to protect public health from ‘source to tap.’” A particular focus includes the National Drinking Water regulations (i.e., Safe Drinking Water Act) that address 91 contaminants. Referenced ASDWA activities include:
- Providing training and technical assistance
- Reviewing and approving construction plans and specifications
- Issuing permits
- Conducting inspections of treatment plant and distribution system infrastructure
- Managing data and information, and reporting that information to EPA
- Managing loan programs for infrastructure construction
- Ensuring that public water systems are operated by certified operators
- Taking enforcement actions, when needed
ASDWA believes that the upcoming Administration should focus on four major goals that will help states fulfill their mission for safe drinking water. These are stated to include:
- Strengthen the State-Federal Co-Regulator Partnership
- Increase Funding for Human Resources and Water Infrastructure
- Increase Data Access and Transparency
- Address States’ Regulatory Challenges
- Develop Solutions for Small Systems
- Increase Federal Action on Unregulated Contaminants
A copy of the Brief can be downloaded here.
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