ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190021
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DONALD L. CORREL
DESPITE attempts by some organizations to influence reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act, proposals in the Senate are on target. Legislation introduced by Sens. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, and John Chafee, R-R.I., is a major step in protecting public health, while strengthening the law and streamlining cumbersome regulations. The bill has bipartisan support; co-sponsors include Majority Leader Robert Dole and Minority Leader Tom Daschle
For Virginia residents, the bill means a further guarantee of safe and clean drinking water, and limits unnecessary costs that have burdened this state's public and investor-owned water systems. The new legislation also provides funding options to states to address drinking-water issues, and allows more input by state officials in the application of those funds. State representatives and water-company officials will be able to address safe drinking water issues based upon state priorities - not arbitrary federal designations.
Existing regulations to safeguard the state's and nation's drinking water, although well-intentioned, have proved ineffective and out of date. Current law requires federal, state and local governments to monitor for specific contaminants regardless of whether those contaminants pose a threat to public health. Such superfluous requirements have diverted monitoring efforts for determining contaminants that do threaten public health. Over the years, they have translated into costly expenditures with little or no health benefit to the consumer.
More than 80 percent of Americans receive their water from governmental agencies and authorities, many of which are small local systems. The increased costs of meeting unnecessary requirements have placed economic strains on such authorities, and made it very difficult to manage them. In Virginia, more than 90 percent of the water systems currently listed in violation of Safe Drinking Water Act mandates are operated by extremely small water companies.
The Senate bill will help eliminate such problems, by providing common-sense solutions that support both environmental protection and regulatory reform. The new provisions strengthen the scientific basis for establishing drinking-water standards, focus regulatory resources toward true public-health risks, and establish a stable and innovative framework for addressing longer-term drinking-water issues. Additionally, the legislation provides funding for new mandates, improves federal-state partnerships in administering water regulations and establishes a much-needed protection program for water supplies.
One key item for smaller municipal systems includes authorization of a state revolving fund for drinking water. This fund will provide loans to help public-water systems comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act and for other assistance to small and/or economically disadvantaged systems.
The majority of water systems in Virginia and the nation operate safely, and pose no risk to public health. Though some systems occasionally have detected potential issues at sources of water supply, these problems are addressed long before the water reaches the consumer. Therefore, more regulation is not the solution to addressing water-quality standards; rather, better management of the current water systems should be the focus.
This is exactly the approach being taken by the new Senate proposals, which have received strong support from a group known as the SDWA Coalition. The organization includes both public and private water suppliers, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Conference of State Legislators.
Government also should be seeking solutions through new operating-management strategies. For some communities, this may mean entering into public-private partnerships. Instead of a buyout, communities may opt to out-source the management and operation of their water utility, while maintaining ownership. A number of examples exist where such programs have flourished. In fact, states such as New Jersey have enacted legislation to make these alternatives more available and easier to implement.
There's no doubt that adding further regulation without scientific studies will not help address consumer concerns over water quality. On the contrary, such a move could be counterproductive - particularly in the cases of the already overburdened systems. Instead, we need to improve system management and encourage more progressive solutions to ensure that our nation's water quality remains the best in the world. The Senate bill is a major step in the right direction.
Donald L. Correll is chairman and CEO of United Water Resources, an investor-owned water-services company that serves a number of communities in Virginia.
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