The American Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is the largest internationally-recognized certification authority for water purification. Water purification tablets should meet the EPA requirements, this means that there should no active bugs left in the water. Any substance that is put in drinking water to kill pests or bugs in America must pass the EPA safety rules and this includes chlorine, iodine, chlorine dioxide and silver.
History of the EPA
Born in the wake of elevated concern about environmental pollution, EPA was established on December 2, 1970 to consolidate in one agency a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. Since its inception, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
Mission of the EPA
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.
EPA’s purpose is to ensure that:
- all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work
- national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information
- federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively
- environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy
- all parts of society — communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments — have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks
- environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive, and
- the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.
Develop and Enforce Regulations
When Congress writes an environmental law, we implement it by writing regulations. Often, we set national standards that states and tribes enforce through their own regulations. If they fail to meet the national standards, we can help them. We also enforce our regulations, and help companies understand the requirements.
Regulating Public Water Systems and Contaminants Under the Safe Drinking Water Act
EPA defines a water contaminant as any physical chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water. EPA sets legal limits on the levels of certain contaminants in drinking water. The legal limits reflect both the level that protects human health and the level that water systems can achieve using the best available technology. Besides prescribing these legal limits, EPA rules set water-testing schedules and methods that water systems must follow. The rules also list acceptable techniques for treating contaminated water. The Safe Drinking Water Act gives individual states the opportunity to set and enforce their own drinking water standards if the standards are at least as strong as EPA’s national standards. Most states and territories directly oversee the water systems within their borders.
More information can be found on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
