Parker Waichman LLP

What is Water Contamination?

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed by Congress in 1974, authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish minimum standards to protect tap water. SDWA defines “contaminant” broadly, to include any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter in water. Drinking water often contains small amounts of some contaminants. Some drinking […]

What is water contamination?

Safe Drinking Water Act

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed by Congress in 1974, authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish minimum standards to protect tap water.

SDWA defines “contaminant” broadly, to include any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter in water. Drinking water often contains small amounts of some contaminants. Some drinking water contaminants may be harmful at certain levels, but the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate a health risk.

Germs that commonly include tap water, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include:

  • Cryptosporidium (Crypto)
  • Campylobacter
  • E. coli O157
  • Enterovirus
  • Giardia
  • Hepatitis A virus
  • Legionella
  • Norovirus
  • Rotavirus
  • Salmonella
  • Shigella

Chemical contamination can occur naturally. Some rocks and soil naturally contain chemicals and minerals such as arsenic, copper, lead, nitrate, radon and uranium. Other common chemical contaminants include nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs. 

How does contamination happen?

The CDC lists common ways that harmful germs and chemicals can get in the water:

  • Fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals from nearby land
  • Feeding operations from industrial animal farms
  • Manufacturing
  • Overflowing sewers
  • Storm water
  • Wildlife
  • Distribution system problems, including cracks in pipes

Who regulates water contamination?

What is water contamination?

Who regulates water

 

The SDWA gave the EPA authority to establish minimum standards to protect tap water. The SDWA was amended in 1986 and 1996 requiring a variety of specific actions to protect drinking water and its sources including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells. Thewas amended in 1986 and 1996 requiring a variety of specific actions to protect drinking water and its sources including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells.

The EPA currently sets legal limits on over 90 water contaminants. EPA also sets water-testing schedules and methods for water systems.

The EPA’s Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). is a list of contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems but are not subject to any regulation. SDWA requires the EPA to publish the CCL every five years. After a final CCL is published, EPA conducts Regulatory Determinations, using SDWA criteria, to determine whether the contaminant should be regulated:

  • Does it have an adverse human health effect?
  • Is it known or likely to occur in public water systems with a frequency and at levels of public health concern?
  • Will regulation present “a meaningful opportunity for health risk reductions for persons served by public water systems?”

SDWA authorizes the EPA to oversee the states, localities and water suppliers who implement its standards. SDWA also gives individual states the opportunity to set and enforce their own drinking water standards, as long as the local standards are as least as stringent as EPA’s national standards. New York, for example, has a Drinking Water Source Protection Program to help communities implement protection programs through water use regulations. New Jersey has its own version of the SDWA.

 

GET LEGAL HELP FROM AN EXPERIENCED
CONTAMINATION LAWYER TODAY

FREE WATER CONTAMINATION INJURY CASE REVIEW

If you are facing the effects of contamination and want to learn more about your legal rights and interests, contact the law firm of Parker Waichman now at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) today.  Parker Waichman LLP has the legal skills and experience our disposal to fight for everything you may be entitled to receive.  Contact us today to learn more about how we can make a difference for you!

Who regulates water
What Our Clients Say About Us
We have worked with thousands of clients and we appreciate them and their positive reviews. Here are just a few recent client reviews...
5 Star Reviews 150
Francisco A. Albites Esq. recently represented me in a legal matter. He communicated with me directly. He very skillfully negotiated my case to a successful outcome. Mr. Alibites knowledge of the law and his integrity are a testament to his success as an attorney. I would 100% refer him to friends and family members.
Gary Utech
3 years ago
5 Star Reviews 150
All my questions, some silly(?), were answered very professionally. Every detail was handled in a timely manner. Their correspondence is greatly appreciated. I couldn't be more satisfied.
Bruce Hendershot
6 years ago
5 Star Reviews 150
A very professional Law Firm more e-mail updates would be great!
randal lee
6 years ago

Why Choose Us to Help You?

We Take Care of Everything
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
No Recovery = No Legal Fees
We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that we only get paid from a portion of your settlement or jury award. If you don't get compensation, you owe us nothing.
Decades of Experience
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
Respected by Our Peers
Judges, insurance adjusters, and fellow attorneys all speak highly of our skills, and we've earned numerous accolades, including a flawless rating from AVVO.
We Have Many Locations To Serve You
We have the experience and the skilled litigators to win your case. Contact us and speak with a real attorney who can help you.
Long Island – Nassau
Parker Waichman LLP
6 Harbor Park Drive
Port Washington, NY 11050
Long Island – Suffolk
Parker Waichman LLP
201 Old Country Road – Suite 145
Melville, NY 11747
New York
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038
Queens
Parker Waichman LLP
118-35 Queens Boulevard, Suite 400
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Brooklyn
Parker Waichman LLP
300 Cadman Plaza West
One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
New Jersey
Parker Waichman LLP
80 Main Street, Suite 265
West Orange, NJ 07052
Florida
Parker Waichman LLP
27299 Riverview Center Boulevard
Suite 108
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Nationwide Service
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038