March 14, 2003 -- According to data reported by the states, about 94 percent of community drinking water systems in the United States met all existing federal health-based standards in 2002.
The data reported that most violations were by small systems serving fewer than 3,300 people and were for noncompliance with the total coliform rule, which established limits on coliform bacteria in water distribution systems. The next most common violation was for the rule that controls lead and copper in drinking water, and the third most common violation was for the surface water treatment rule, a rule to control microbial contaminants in systems that use surface water.
EPA's goal is for 95 percent of community water systems, which are utilities that serve the population year-round, to meet health-based standards by 2005, from a baseline of 83 percent in 1994, according to Factoids: Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2002, recently released by EPA.
More information is available at http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/new.html.
Source: WWEMA
