Which act sets maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water to protect human health?

Which act sets maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in drinking water to protect human health?

• A. Clean Water Act
• B. Clean Air Act
• C. CERCLA
• D. Safe Drinking Water Act

Answer: (D)

Maximum contaminant levels in drinking water are set under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which gives the EPA the authority to establish enforceable limits on contaminants in public drinking water to protect human health. These standards, called maximum contaminant levels, are based on health risk assessments and the feasibility of treatment and monitoring. Water systems must test, treat, and report to ensure they stay within these limits, and states oversee implementation with federal standards. The other acts address different environmental concerns. The Clean Water Act focuses on pollutants entering surface waters like rivers and lakes, not on drinking water standards. CERCLA deals with cleaning up hazardous waste sites, and the Clean Air Act targets air pollution. So the protection of drinking water quality through enforceable limits specifically comes from the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Maximum contaminant levels in drinking water are set under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which gives the EPA the authority to establish enforceable limits on contaminants in public drinking water to protect human health. These standards, called maximum contaminant levels, are based on health risk assessments and the feasibility of treatment and monitoring. Water systems must test, treat, and report to ensure they stay within these limits, and states oversee implementation with federal standards.

The other acts address different environmental concerns. The Clean Water Act focuses on pollutants entering surface waters like rivers and lakes, not on drinking water standards. CERCLA deals with cleaning up hazardous waste sites, and the Clean Air Act targets air pollution. So the protection of drinking water quality through enforceable limits specifically comes from the Safe Drinking Water Act.