The National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) met from November 17-19 to discuss the EPA’s upcoming drinking water agenda. Of particular focus for this meeting was a review of the recent report from NDWAC’s Lead and Copper Working Group, which made recommendations for potential long-term revisions to EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). NDWAC members listened to summaries of the report’s contents from working group representatives, a presentation from the dissenting member to the working group report and numerous public commenters before embarking on several hours of detailed deliberations.
By the end of the meeting, the NDWAC was unanimous in its endorsement of the working group report, which calls for proactive, full replacement of all lead service lines, opting to forward the report to the EPA Administrator in its entirety with a transmittal letter containing several points of emphasis and clarification. Key points of emphasis outlined in the draft transmittal letter include: the need for active collaboration with other federal, state and local agencies and programs; additional quantitative analysis; and sufficient flexibility to enable realistic implementation of any final regulations. Although the NDWAC agreed on the major points to be reflected in its transmittal letter to the Administrator, the letter still needs to undergo a final round of edits for clarity before submission of the final recommendations package sometime in the next few weeks.
In addition to its work on the lead and copper recommendations, EPA staff provided updates on the agency’s overall regulatory agenda and specific reports on recent efforts related to algal blooms/cyanotoxins and Legionella. Copies of all EPA presentations, as well as the Lead and Copper Working Group’s report, are available for download on the NDWAC web page.