Safe Drinking Water Act
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is Federal legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1974 and most recently amended in 1996. Its purpose is to ensure the safety of the nation’s public drinking water supplies.
The SDWA required the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop drinking water regulations and establish maximum contaminant levels for water supplies used by the public. Currently, most private residential water supplies are not regulated under this law. However, if your well is used by more than 25 permanent residents, or if the general public uses your well (e.g. a well used by a restaurant), it is regulated under the SDWA.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has the responsibility to notify the public of the standards established by the EPA and to enforce those standards. In Waukesha County, The Division of Environmental Health acts as an agent of the DNR in regulating some public drinking water supplies. If you have a question regarding these regulations, please contact Skylar Behm, Environmental Health Supervisor.
