Governance & Policy
US Safe Drinking Water Act
The United States law setting national drinking water quality standards for public water systems, including recent PFAS limits.
Definition
The Safe Drinking Water Act, enacted in 1974, authorises the US Environmental Protection Agency to set national health-based standards for contaminants in public drinking water systems, administered mainly through state programmes. It covers maximum contaminant levels, treatment techniques, monitoring, source water protection and, since 1996, consumer right-to-know reporting.
Quick reference
At a glance
- Subject
- Governance & Policy
- Editorial status
- Editorial draft
- Definition status
- Established
- Last updated
- 19 August 2026
- Also known as
- SDWA · Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974
Overview
What it means
Tap water safety in the US is a federal standards regime executed by tens of thousands of local utilities.
How it is used
Utilities monitor and report compliance; EPA adds standards — including the first national PFAS drinking water limits finalised in 2024; states oversee systems.
Why it matters
It is the legal guarantee behind US drinking water and the frontline statute for emerging-contaminant regulation.
Review
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