The Ground Water Rule: The First Federal Drinking Water Regulation to Require Microbial Source Water Monitoring

摘要

The nation's ground water is an indispensable natural resource. One of many uses of ground water sources is to supply drinking water to millions of people across the country. Ensuring that Americans obtain safe drinking water is a key objective of the federal drinking water program. In 2006, the scope of the U.S. EPA drinking water program was expanded to include the Ground Water Rule (GWR)—a national primary drinking water regulation developed to address public health concerns related to fecal contamination in ground water systems (GWSs). The presence of fecal contamination in ground water sources indicates that the source may contain infectious viral or bacterial pathogens. Ingestion of these pathogens may cause adverse human health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 1991 to 2000 water borne disease outbreak information provides evidence of health concerns related to contaminated ground water sources.