The Safe Drinking Water Act at 50: Another Identity Crisis

Key Takeaways The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974 (amended in 1986, 1996, and 2018) shows the tension between purity and safety, cost and benefits, and balancing risks, down to today's policy debates. Following the 1996 amendments, regulatory successes include arsenic, radionuclides, filter backwash recycling, total coliform, disinfectants and disinfection byproducts, and enhanced surface water treatment. With recent drinking water standards, such as the 2024 per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances rule, based on very low detection levels, the SDWA continues to generate intense public dialogue.