Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control Uic Program

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated in 2013, "more than 100 million people in the United States, about 35 percent of the population-received their drinking water from public groundwater systems." The Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974, sought to protect drinking water by establishing the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The UIC Program, as administered by the EPA, contains regulations for injection wells to prevent endangering drinking water sources.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the key federal law for protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants. First enacted in 1974 and substantially amended in 1986 and 1996, the act is administered through programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for public water supplies, control underground injection of wastes, finance infrastructure projects, and protect sources of drinking water. This report summarizes the SDWA and its major programs and regulatory requirements. It includes summaries of the principal environmental statutes administered by the EPA. Also includes the drinking water security provisions added to the SDWA in 2002. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand publication.