The mission of USEPA's drinking water program is to protect public health by ensuring the safety of public water supplies. Nearly all States have the primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of public water supplies within their borders. The USEPA issues a grant to such States to help them operate their drinking water programs. EPA Regional Offices work with these States to ensure they are operating an acceptable drinking water program. EPA Regions also provide the following assistance to the States:

• Interpretation of regulations.
• Assistance with technical problems for water system operation.
• Development of educational materials to distribute to water system operators and the public
• Assistance with enforcing regulations.
• Assistance with development and evaluation of State water supply legislation and regulations.

Federal authority for the drinking water program is limited to "public water supplies," that is, water supplies that serve 25 or more persons per day for at least 60 days in a year, or have 15 or more service connections. The Federal regulations and information provided on this site and linked sites do not necessarily apply to private drinking water sources although some of the information may be relevant. For more information on private drinking water supplies, contact your local county health department. In addition to working with the States as described above, EPA Regional Office drinking water programs also perform the following functions:

• Independently enforcing drinking water regulations
• Working with EPA Headquarters to develop regulations and guidance that protect public health and that are implementable.
• Reviewing State programs for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund
• Working with States, public water systems, and communities (and other partners in drinking water protection) to encourage development of source water protection plans.
• Educating the public on drinking water issues and health effects, and supporting the public's right-to-know about the safety of their drinking water.
• Responding to public requests for information and frequently asked questions on drinking water.
• Managing State submissions of public water system inventory and compliance data to the national Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).

EPA Regional Offices also have direct implementation responsibility for all drinking water regulations for most Tribally owned public water systems. This includes monitoring the systems' compliance with the regulations, providing follow-up and enforcement if necessary, providing on-site and other technical assistance, and conducting workshops and other educational activities.

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