May 18, 2005—Ninety percent of the 272 million people served by 53,000 community water systems across the US received water that met health-based drinking water standards in fiscal year 2004, according to newly released statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Water systems meeting the standards do not exceed the maximum allowable levels for contaminants such as nitrate and meet treatment technique requirements that ensure protection against microbial pathogens such as Giardia and viruses.
Through effective treatment, source water protection, and state and federal cooperation, EPA is working to meet its goal of having 95 percent of the population by 2008 served by community water systems in compliance with health-based drinking water standards.
The yearly Summaries of Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics are available from the EPA.
