Collective Activities of Federal Agencies

The general categories of tasks undertaken by various Federal agencies are summarized in Table 1. This table uses the symbol ü to denote activities conducted with the intent of serving all U.S. citizens and û for those activities that are undertaken only for some subset of the population.

Table 1 lists a variety of current Federal activities related to drinking water and health and the specific Federal agencies involved. Hazardous components of water come either from nonpoint sources (agricultural, man-altered and natural runoff, and atmospheric deposition), from point sources, or through the treatment and distribution process. The EPA regulates most point source pollution through the Clean Water Act and has some influence over atmospheric deposition of harmful contaminants through the Clean Air Act. The agricultural contributions to surface and groundwater contamination are significant in many areas and, with the exception of herbicide and pesticide regulation, are largely unregulated by the Federal Government. The USDA has several programs to minimize nutrient flow to surface waters, to control sediment loading of surface waters, and to encourage prudent use of agricultural chemicals. Most of these programs depend on the voluntary cooperation of farmers and on the ability, using USDA’s limited resources, to get information to farmers. Specific agricultural compounds are registered, and can be deregistered or banned, by the EPA.

Nonpoint source pollution from urban and suburban environs can be significant, as the USGS has documented through its National Water Quality Assessment. Although the EPA and many States have extensive programs to diminish pollution transported through storm water and sediment runoff, most of these programs depend on voluntary cooperation of participants or on the enforcement of local regulations.

Thus, whereas collective Federal efforts to ensure water safety are extensive, the Federal Government does not have the ability to control all pollution at the source.

Table 1: Activities of Subcommittee Agencies Associated With Drinking Water

ü - denotes activities conducted to serve all U.S. citizens; û - denotes an activity for some subset of the U.S. population.

ü - denotes activities conducted to serve all U.S. citizens; û - denotes an activity for some subset of the U.S. population.