Review of West Virginia’s SDWA Data Availability

By: Rick Shaver – Geologist III

West Virginia has the primary SDWA enforcement authority.

Lead Agency in West Virginia -DHHR/BPH/OEHS/EED

Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking water.

Inorganic Alkalinity, Nitrate, pH, etc.

Microbiological Turbidity, Total & Fecal Coliform, E. coli.

Volatile Organics Benzene, Toluene, Xylene.

Metals Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, etc.

Synthetic Organics Chlordane, Toxaphene, PCBs.

For each of these contaminants, EPA sets a legal limit, called a maximum contaminant level, or requires a certain treatment.

Water suppliers may not provide water that doesn't meet these standards.

Public Water Supply Systems must submit finished water quality data to the state.

Population of West Virginia ~ 1.8 million with ~ 1.4 million served by Public Water Supplies.

Public water systems include the following: Community water systems Non-community non-transient

water systems Non-community transient water

systems Community Systems – 329

184 Groundwater 128 Surface Water (~76% of

population) 17 GWUDI

Non-Community System – 641 619 Groundwater 14 Surface Water 8 GWUDI

Drinking Water Watch will provide online information on the quality of water produced by community water supplies in West Virginia.

The Drinking Water Watch Web Portal will allow citizens to directly access drinking water monitoring data and other information for community water systems in West Virginia. The information is of interest not only to consumers of the water supply but nearby private well owners can also quickly check on potential contamination threats.

Although water supplies are required to directly notify customers of any violations of federal drinking water standards and provide an annual Consumer Confidence Report, the web site increases the accessibility of information to the public.

Anticipate late 2009 or early 2010 for release.

http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/sdwis/

http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/sdwis/

West Virginia Bureau for Public

HealthOffice of Environmental Health Services

Environmental Engineering DivisionCharleston, WV 25301

(304) 558-2981

http://www.wvdhhr.org/oehs

Rick Shaver

Richard.K.Shaver@wv.gov

304/558-6744