EPA to Hold Listening Session to Explore Bottled Water as Alternative Compliance Option

The U.S. EPA is holding a listening session to explore the possibility of using bottled water as an alternative compliance option for chronic contaminants regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The purpose of this meeting is to identify information and data needed for EPA to evaluate the effectiveness of bottled water as an alternative compliance option for non-transient, non-community water systems.

Under SDWA, bottled water is allowed for use in very limited situations such as in emergency situations or as a temporary measure under variances and exemptions. There is no statutory prohibition on the use of bottled water to achieve compliance. However, bottled water is prohibited by regulation for use by a public water system to achieve compliance with a maximum contaminant level.

The listening session will be held in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration will open at 8:00 a.m., at RESOLVE, Inc., 1255 23rd St., NW, Suite 275, Washington, DC 20037. Interested participants from the public should contact Jennifer Moller at [email protected] or call 202-564-3891 to receive additional details. There is no charge for attending this workshop as an observer, but seats are limited, so register as soon as possible. To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Jennifer Moller, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process the request.

Source: EPA