On April 9, the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) submitted comments to EPA regarding the agency’s use and development of health advisories (HAs). EPA charged NDWAC with examining the following health advisory questions:
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What information should EPA consider when determining when to develop or revise a health advisory?
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What factors should EPA consider when prioritizing HAs?
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What factors should EPA consider when developing HAs? How and when is status communicated to key stakeholders, including states and utilities?
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What are core components that EPA can consider including in the HA?
The council said that HAs are important to both states and utilities for addressing the safety of public drinking water. However, it noted concerns that the public does not understand the difference between an HA and a regulation and said the “risk messaging provided has not adequately communicated the subtle differences between ‘risk’ and ‘safety’.”
The council strongly supported EPA’s commitment to increased transparency and communication throughout the HA process, particularly in allowing review and input by stakeholders. Council members also cautioned EPA to consider “the ‘real world’ impact of HAs on the public’s trust in their drinking water” and strongly encouraged the agency to increase public communication and risk communication to help the public understand what a health advisory represents.