Water is a precious resource. Water is life, and we need to continue protecting it. On December 16, 2024 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act. President Ford (a part-time Vail, Colorado resident) signed it in 1974. This landmark legislation set unified standards for water systems across the United States to protect public health. The act set national health-based standards to protect against naturally occurring and human-made contaminants.
That work continues today. In April 2024, the EPA set standards for the group of chemicals known as PFAS. That made headlines. It was the first new standard to be set since 2000. However, the typical water consumer probably never sees all the routine things that happen under the act. The Water Quality Control Division (division) works every day to assist and educate our water partners across the state to ensure that water is properly treated and tested. Since 1974, the risk of waterborne disease and children’s lead exposure from drinking water has been dramatically reduced. The Safe Drinking Water Act also gives people the right to information about tap water from their community systems. This occurs annually in Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs), another rule EPA updated in 2024, and via the Public Notice Rule when violations occur. This transparency helps people trust that their tap water is safe.
Moreover, the Safe Drinking Water Act provides federal money to help communities improve their drinking water systems, often costing millions of dollars. That benefit comes from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). South Fork, Colorado is a prime example of how well it can work. The town of about 600 people in Rio Grande County is located on the west side of the San Luis Valley. Two years ago, the town built a new water system to replace a patchwork of private wells. Now, there is enough treated water to supply 158 houses and to fight fires if needed. Town officials have stated that they would never have been able to achieve this project without the Water Quality Control Division's guidance and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
We’ve made tremendous strides in the last 50 years improving drinking water quality. And we’re not done. Today, the division supports innovative ways to combat current and future challenges like new and emerging contaminants, wildfires, and more. We’re assisting dozens of communities helping them to replace aging water infrastructure, and that need will only expand as we head into the future. We’re also working with communities across the state to protect people from drinking water pipes that may contain lead. Water providers are looking for them. In several communities like Denver, the removal of lead pipes is already underway.
The Safe Drinking Water Act provides our direction. The bottom line: we want people to have the water they deserve. The division will continue to do that here in Colorado, with guidance from the Safe Drinking Water Act, for years to come. Together with our water utilities, we’ve been safeguarding drinking water for the past 50 years via the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Thank you for all the progress over the last half a century!
➽ John Michael Marketing and Communications Specialist
➽ Ron Falco, P.E. Safe Drinking Water Program Manager
