National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Implementation Primary Enforcement Responsibility [PWSS-PRIMACY-I-A1-1]

Key Points

• 1States and tribes can request 'primary enforcement responsibility,' meaning they get to enforce EPA drinking water rules in their own areas instead of the EPA doing it
• 2The EPA must approve states and tribes that prove they have adequate laws, staff, and resources to do the job properly
• 3This is a proposed rule from 1989 that is being revisited, likely to clarify which organizations qualify and what they must do to maintain their authority
• 4Local governments and water utilities will report to their state or tribal regulators rather than directly to the EPA
• 5Citizens may see changes in who inspects their water system and how quickly violations get fixed, depending on whether their state or tribe takes primary enforcement responsibility

Key Dates