What federal law regulates drinking water?

• A. Safe Drinking Water Act
• B. Clean Water Act
• C. National Environmental Policy Act
• D. Federal Water Pollution Act

Answer: (A)

The Safe Drinking Water Act sets the standards and rules that govern drinking water quality. It gives the EPA authority to establish enforceable maximum contaminant levels, specify treatment methods, and require regular testing, monitoring, and reporting by public water systems. It also guides state programs to implement these standards and protect source water. The other laws address different parts of water protection: the Clean Water Act focuses on pollutants discharged into surface waters and the overall quality of bodies of water, not the drinking water delivered to consumers; the National Environmental Policy Act requires environmental reviews for federal actions; and the Federal Water Pollution Act is the older name for the act that became the Clean Water Act. So for regulations specifically about drinking water, this act is the key law.