GROUND WATER DIVISION

RESOLUTION TO WORK WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF STATE DRINKING WATER ADMINISTRATORS (ASDWA) TO PREPARE THE METHODOLOGIES FOR ASSESSING PATHOGEN SUSCEPTIBILITY WITH REGARD TO THE UPCOMING GROUND WATER RULE

Passed 3/16/99

WHEREAS: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on the Ground Water Rule (GWR) which will address the public health risks that pathogens (including viruses) present to the users of public water supply wells; and

WHEREAS: the GWR will very likely require states to determine the susceptibility of public water supply wells to pathogens sources; and

WHEREAS: states are required under Section 1453 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to prepare source water assessments for all public water supplies; and

WHEREAS: the GWPC passed a resolution in March, 1998 supporting the idea that the susceptibility determinations to pathogens required under the GWR be coordinated with source water assessments; and

WHEREAS: a state does not wish to be in the position of providing a public water supplier conflicting pathogen susceptibility assessments conducted under separate sections of the SDWA;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the GWPC, ASDWA, and the states would help in the development of methodologies for assessing the pathogen susceptibility of public water supply wells. The methodologies will specify: 1) the potential elements of a pathogen susceptibility analysis; 2) standards for using each element; 3) the process a state will use to submit its methodology to EPA for approval; and 4) examples of how each element has been addressed by existing state approaches.