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Show <• Salt Lake, Riverton and West Jordan), have their own drinking water systems. Those that do not ( Taylorsville and West Valley City) are served by the Taylorsville- Bennion Improvement District or the Granger- Hunter Improvement District. Additionally, many of the unincorporated communities also have their own drinking water systems either through the establishment of a water improvement district ( i. e., Copperton, Kearns, Magna and White City) or through the establishment of a water company ( i. e., Herriman and Holladay). Although most communities have constructed their own drinking water systems and have developed independent water sources, most rely heavily on the primary wholesale suppliers: Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District and the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake City. 11.3.2 State The Division of Drinking Water is the state agency responsible for regulating and monitoring public drinking water systems. By action of the 1991 Utah Legislature, effective July 1, 1991, the Department of Environmental Quality was created, and the Bureau of Drinking Water/ Sanitation was elevated to the Division of Drinking Water. All public drinking water supplies are subject to the Utah Safe Drinking Water Act and Utah's Public Drinking Water Regulations. Laws and regulations are administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Drinking Water. In addition, the Utah Board of Health has regulatory control over public and individual drinking water systems and water well installation and construction. These responsibilities and duties are carried out through their staff. They work closely with the Department of Environmental Quality on related regulations. When private water systems are proposed to serve new developments, local planning commissions often ask the local health department to evaluate the feasibility of the water supply. 11.3.3 Federal With the passage of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act ( SDWA) in 1974, the federal government established national drinking water regulations to protect the public from water borne diseases. Congress expanded and strengthened the SDWA in 1986. The amended SDWA significantly increased the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) to: 1) Establish maximum levels of contamination for established pollutants, 2) set compliance deadlines for owners/ operators of treatment facilities in violation of federal regulations, 3) regulate surface water treatment associated with lead removal and wellhead disinfection, and 4) strengthen the enforcement of all regulations in the initial act. Chemical, physical, radiological and bacteriological substances in drinking water which pose a health risk to the public are regulated by the EPA under provisions given in the SDWA. The EPA has established an extensive list of maximum contaminant levels ( MCLs) for most common organic and inorganic contaminants. The SDWA has also established a strict schedule to determine reasonable MCLs for a number of additional contaminants. As a result, additional contaminants are identified on a regular basis by the EPA and subject to new regulations. To control and improve the aesthetic quality of drinking water supplies, the SDWA also includes a list of secondary maximum contamination levels ( SMCLs) for water aesthetics such as taste, odor and color. Although the evaluation of these qualities is subjective, the measurement of SMCLs has allowed for a reasonable level of consistency in water aesthetics determinations from one supply to another. The SDWA also requires state and local water provider agencies to monitor a specified list of regulated and unregulated contaminants. The selection of contaminants is dependant upon the number of people served, the water supply source and contaminants likely to be found. The standardized monitoring framework is administered over three, three- year compliance cycles for a nine- year total monitoring period beginning in 1992. The 1986 SDWA amendments require all states to develop wellhead protection programs. The Division of Drinking Water has created the Drinking Water Source Protection Rule ( DWSPR) outlining the general requirements to protect wellheads from outside surface contamination. Requirements of the DWSPR include preparing a Drinking Water Source Protection Plan for each groundwater source in all public water systems. Proof of ownership and maintenance of all land in and around wellheads where surface water contamination can occur is also required. 11- 5 |
