Question:
Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water which do or may cause health problems?

Answer: In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine safe levels of chemicals in drinking water which do or may cause health problems. These non-enforceable levels, based solely on possible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum Contaminant Level Goals.

The MCLG for acrylamide has been set at zero because EPA believes this level of protection would not cause any of the potential health problems described below.

There are currently no acceptable means of detecting acrylamide in drinking water. In this case, EPA is requiring water suppliers to use a special treatment technique to control its amount in water. Since acrylamide is used in drinking water treatment processes, it is being controlled simply by limiting its use for this purpose.

These drinking water standards and the regulations for ensuring these standards are met, are called National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. All public water supplies must abide by these regulations