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EPA Awards $4.7 Million to Support Pa.’s Drinking Water Program

Release Date: 4/4/2002
Contact Information: Roy Seneca 215-814-5567

Contact: Roy Seneca (215) 814-5567

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a $4,721,967 grant to support Pennsylvania’s public water system supervision program, which helps protect drinking water supplies. Pennsylvania will contribute $1,245,131 in matching funds.

“This funding supports the state in many ways, but the citizens of Pennsylvania will benefit the most by having safe water to drink and by having information about the quality of their drinking water at their fingertips,” said Thomas C. Voltaggio, deputy regional administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

EPA’s funding will help public water systems in Pennsylvania comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act by providing technical assistance, operator training, field surveillance, laboratory certification, and information to water system owners about new regulatory responsibilities.

The EPA funds are awarded annually to states that assume the primary enforcement authority to help ensure the nation’s drinking waters remain safe. The grant goes directly to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which manages the program, and initiates enforcement actions against public water suppliers who fail to comply with state and federal regulations.

There are more than 10,000 public water systems in Pennsylvania, serving more than 11.7 million people.