WASHINGTON — To further reduce the risk of illness from drinking water, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced rules that would require drinking water systems to monitor for and increase protection against cryptosporidium, while expanding the monitoring and control of disinfection byproducts (DBP).
The EPA reported on its website that it is building upon rules now in effect. The Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2) and the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct Rule are required by the Safe Drinking Water Act and were developed in partnership with a wide range of interests including water systems, environmental groups and state and local health officials.
"These drinking water rules are important steps in protecting Americans' health," said former EPA Acting Administrator Linda Fisher. "These rules take the right approach toward minimizing and balancing the risks from microbial contamination and disinfection byproducts. They represent the culmination of more than a decade of analysis, research and partnership focused on making the nation's drinking water safer."
The EPA estimates that full implementation of the LT2 rule will reduce over 1 million cases of cryptosporidiosis per year, with an associated reduction of up to 140 premature deaths. The economic benefit ranges up to $1.4 billion annually. Annual costs of the LT2 rule are estimated to range from approximately $73.5 to $111 million.
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