Small systems and SDWA reauthorization

Small systems issues have been a prominent feature of deliberations on the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) since its initial formulation. In 1993 the US Environmental Protection Agency. (USEPA) prepared a report to Congress that contained a detailed discussion of the SDWA compliance challenges faced by small water systems. This article focuses on three of the major small system issues identified in the report to Congress - viability, lower-cost technology, and financing - and discusses how USEPA's reauthorization recommendations would address these issues.