ABSTRACT
The vast majority of the population of the United States, 230 million people are served by community water systems. Community water systems vary in size from the very small to the very large; 90% of community water systems serve populations less than 10,000. Small systems have the most difficulty meeting national compliance standards for drinking water. On a national scale the most significant change has been the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Act encompasses many areas of water quality but most significantly, for the first time, the SDWA Amendments specifically address small system problems. The National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) was established by the United States Congress on December 16, 1974. The NDWAC reviewed the recommendations and made formal recommendations to the Administrator. Water quality in the deep aquifers often has high dissolved solids including sulfates and radon.
