Wednesday, May 25 2011 3:48PM
Idaho lawmakers reintroduced legislation to improve safety measures and standards for the state's drinking water.
To ensure drinking water provided to rural Idaho communities is safe and clean, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch reintroduced legislation which would help with improvements to water systems throughout the state.
The bill would add certain safety provisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), including a requirement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency give local governments in Idaho the necessary resources to help them comply with drinking water regulations.
"Many small communities cannot afford to comply with federal drinking water regulations without the assistance of the federal government," Crapo said in a statement. "Federal regulatory agencies should be true partners in developing drinking water regulations that municipalities can actually afford to implement."
Water infrastructure which supplies tribes in Idaho with drinking water is also included in the legislation. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is currently considering the bill.
The SDWA was first passed by Congress in 1974 and has been amended twice — in 1986 and 1996.