|
|
|
| The Department of Pubic Health (DPH) is Connecticut's lead State agency in all matters related to the purity and adequacy of drinking water. The Water Supplies Section (WSS) in the Department's Bureau of Regulatory Services administers the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) at the State level. The Section's responsibilities for SDWA include regulating over 4,600 public water systems throughout Connecticut. In 1996, the United States Congress amended SDWA. One of the most important new provisions in the amendments was a public information component that requires State drinking water programs to provide the public with a summary of public water system violations on an annual basis. During 1997, violations were issued to 418 public water systems for exceedances of maximum containment levels (MCL, noncompliance with treatment technique requirements and failure to monitor supplies and report water quality test results to WSS. One hundred twenty two community public water systems incurred a total of 301 violations while 296 non-community public water systems has 2,612 violations. MCL violations were issued to 36 community public water systems and 26 non-community public water systems. Eighty-one of the total 98 MCL violations were for coliform bacteria and 7 were for E. coli bacteria (total coliform-acute). The remaining 17 MCL violations involved the following containments: tetrachloroethylene (10), 1,1-Dichloroethylene (1), nitrate (4) and radium 226 & 228 (2). Thirty-four of the thirty-six community public water systems and nineteen of the twenty-five non-community public water systems have now returned to compliance. Twelve community public water systems incurred treatment technique violations under the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) and the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The ten systems that incurred violations under the SWTR are now either in compliance with the SWTR or will achieve compliance by 1999. Two systems failed to complete public education under the LCR during 1997. Both of these systems are now in compliance. The WSS issued monitoring and reporting violations to 85 community public water systems and 285 non-community public water systems. These violations were for regulated contaminants such as total coliform bacteria, nitrate and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Each contaminant in a group represents a separate violation, therefore if a system failed to submit test results for VOCs this resulted in 21 separate violations. The complete 1997 Public Water Systems Violations Report is available for review at your public library or at the Water Supplies Section, Department of Public Health, 450 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06134. To schedule an appointment to review this document contact the Water Supplies Section at 860-509-7333. |
©
2002 WATERBORNE DISEASE CENTER |
