Correspondence among

Drinking Water Act Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 8:21:05 AM Good morning-- Miguel asked me to share this with you. Could you please also share with your staff working on LCR. Thanks, Janet Regulatory Advisory Who: AWWA utility members What: U.S. EPA's statement on fire hydrant exemption from the Reduction of Lead When: Today The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a statement to the press saying it will revise its guidance on the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act to exclude fire hydrants from compliance if Congress doesn’t pass legislation to do so before the Jan. 4 compliance deadline. A statement from the U.S. EPA provided to AWWA this morning reads: We’re aware that the Senate is considering legislation that has already passed the House that would exempt fire hydrants from the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011. After issuing guidance in October on the Act, EPA consulted with a wide range of municipal, industry and public interest stakeholders. In response to the feedback received through that process, EPA concluded that fire hydrants are not widely used as a potable source of water and that the guidance should be revised to exclude fire hydrants if Congress doesn’t take action to do so before the January deadline. EPA will continue to work with stakeholders impacted by the Act, and to protect clean and safe drinking water for all Americans. AWWA urges members to continue to contact their senators to advocate for the passage of HR3588, the Community Fire Safety Act. This bill is up for a consent vote sometime in the next few days in the U.S. Senate. AWWA is hoping the Senate will use existing procedural motions to move the bill quickly. Thanks in large part to AWWA members and other interested parties who petitioned their elected leaders, the U.S. House already passed HR3588 on a vote of 384-0 earlier in December. If this bill is signed into law, it would exempt fire hydrants from compliance with the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act. Background In late October, the U.S. EPA for the first time announced that fire hydrants were covered under the Reduction of Lead Act. This inclusion was surprising because fire hydrants were never considered to be covered, and the intent of the bill was to give the regulated community three years to prepare for the date the bill takes effect. The Reduction of Lead Act was modeled after laws in California and Vermont that explicitly exempt fire hydrants. Questions can be directed to Tommy AWWA Legislative Director, at 202- 326-6128. xxxEND_PAGE:deq04_b122_3292_3292_1