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Clean Water in Every Tap

Millions of people across thousands of communities in the U.S. have chemicals in their drinking water that put them at risk. PFOA and PFOS and related compounds linked to cancer, Chromium-6 (the Erin Brockovich chemical) and 1,4 dioxane are in millions of people’s tap water. The Safe Drinking Water Act will limit these known toxins in drinking water, protecting families, homes, schools and businesses from harmful toxins.

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Passed In
California Delaware Massachusetts Maine New Hampshire New Jersey New York Rhode Island Virginia Vermont
Introduced In
Arizona
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this help protect drinking water?
These proposals direct existing regulatory agencies to protect families, homes, schools and businesses by requiring the state to set maximum levels of certain contaminants in drinking water and consider adding limits for additional contaminants when two other states do. National polling by Data For Progress shows widespread support for this policy, with 73% of those expressing an opinion supporting the proposal, including a majority of Republicans, independents and Democrats. At least six states have already taken state-level action and are leading the way in protecting their residents from these chemicals.
Is this high-cost to the state?
There is no cost to the state from these initiatives. These proposals direct existing regulatory agencies to set state-level standards for drinking water.
Will this drive economic growth in my state?
Because of liability concerns, companies are shifting away from using toxic chemicals that poison water systems and innovative new companies are being created to help solve the problem. States that lead the way in protecting their drinking water can attract new businesses while reducing healthcare costs and protecting their citizens.
Partners
  • Parents and Families
  • Environmental advocates
  • Clean water advocates
Opposition
  • Industrial polluters
  • Private water system operators
In The News
NPR
Elevated Levels Of Suspected Carcinogen Found In States' Drinking Water
For Hickey, this saga began after his father died from kidney cancer in 2013. ‘I'm not a big envir...
Read The Article
Pittsburgh Post-Gaze
Something in the water? Questions linger about water quality for 50,000 in Beaver County
'Five years after Beaver Falls Municipal Authority—a water utility that serves 50,000 Pennsylvania...
Read The Article
PBS Newshour
What is chromium-6 and how did it infiltrate America’s drinking water?
'Chromium-6, the cancer-causing chemical best known for its role in the Erin Brockovich story, has b...
Read The Article
MLive
Why hasn't Michigan set PFAS limits for drinking water yet?
Despite Michigan's widely praised effort to find PFAS contamination, state leaders have moved slowly...
Read The Article
Model Policy
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SECTION 1 (TITLE):
This act shall be known as the Safe Drinking Water Act
SECTION 2 (PURPOSE):
This bill directs the Department of Health or other appropriate Department to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for likely or known carcinogens found in public drinking water systems. The bill also directs the Department to consider limits to a contaminant in public drinking water when two or more other states have set maximum contaminant levels or limits on said pollutant(s).
SECTION 3 (PROVISIONS):

(a) It is the goal of STATE to protect residents from harmful toxins in drinking water.

(b) Accordingly, within 100 days the Department is directed to commence proceedings to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for likely or known carcinogens and toxic chemicals likely to pose a substantial health hazard in accordance with sections (c) and (d) below.

(c) Departmental action shall include (1) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for PFOS, PFOA, and other PFAS compounds in public drinking water systems; (2) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for chromium-6 in public drinking water systems; (3) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for 1,4 dioxane in public drinking water systems; and (4) a Department directive to consider limits on other pollutants in public drinking water systems when two or more other states have set limits or issued guidance on a given pollutant(s).

(d) In proceedings pursuant to section (b) and (c) above, the Department shall review MCLs adopted by other states, the studies and scientific evidence reviewed by those states, material in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the latest peer reviewed science and independent or government agency studies, and shall adopt an MCL protective of public health, including vulnerable subpopulations such as pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, and children, that provides at least as much protection to such populations as any MCL or health advisory promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The commissioner shall annually review the latest peer reviewed science and independent or government agency studies and undertake additional rulemaking if needed to comply with this paragraph.

(e) Definitions
-(i) “MCL” as defined in this section means maximum contaminant level, or the legal threshold limit on the amount of a substance that is allowed in public water systems.

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