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Latest summary of EPA actions to ensure safe drinking water in Utah

Release Date: 06/07/2010
Contact Information: Lisa Kahn, 303-312-6896, kahn.lisa@epa.gov

(Denver, Colo. – June 7, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 issued 3 administrative orders and 3 notices of violation in Utah from October 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010, under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

Although the State of Utah is authorized to implement the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA can take federal action against public water systems in the state that violate the SDWA and its regulations. EPA issues an administrative order to Utah public water systems with multiple violations for which no State enforcement action was planned. An administrative order requires the public water system to comply with the drinking water regulations and includes action items for returning to compliance.

EPA issued administrative orders to the following Utah public water systems:

Clean Harbors-Aragonite, Aragonite, Utah, due to its failure to monitor for nitrate, inorganic contaminants, lead and copper, and disinfection byproducts. The administrative order was issued on October 26, 2009, and the system is currently complying with the requirements specified in the administrative order.

Harmony Farms Water Users, New Harmony, Utah, due to its failure to monitor for total coliform, nitrate, lead and copper, volatile organic contaminants, and radionuclides and its exceedance of the maximum contaminant level for total coliform bacteria. The administrative order was issued on October 26, 2009. The system has returned to compliance and is currently complying with the requirements specified in the order.

Sorrel River Ranch, Moab, Utah, due to its failure to submit a surface water monitoring plan and failure to monitor for E. coli bacteria, nitrate, total coliform bacteria, and failure to report turbidity monitoring results. The administrative order was issued on October 13, 2009, and the system is currently complying with the requirements specified in the administrative order.

EPA issued notices of violation to the State for the following public water systems, but did not issue administrative orders to these systems because the State entered into bilateral compliance agreements with the systems that address the violations.

Hinckley, Utah, due to its failure to monitor for total coliform bacteria, disinfection byproducts, disinfectant levels, and lead and copper.

Holden, Utah, due to its failure to monitor for nitrate, total coliform bacteria, lead and copper, radium-228, disinfection byproducts, and disinfectant levels.

Springville City, Utah, due to its failure to monitor for nitrate, lead and copper, inorganic contaminants, and disinfection byproducts.

EPA Region 8 oversees the protection of public health and the environment in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.