United States · Law · S
S. 124 (99th)
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986
Introduced
3 January 1985
Last action
19 June 1986 · Became law
Status
Became Public Law No: 99-339.
Sponsors
Sen. Durenberger, Dave [R-MN], Sen. Stafford, Robert T. [R-VT], Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT], Sen. Humphrey, Gordon J. [R-NH]
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
14 January 2025
Summary
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to make existing national interim primary drinking water regulations final. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within varying time periods for specified contaminants, to simultaneously propose and then publish either maximum contaminant level goals and national primary drinking water regulations or else a determination that such regulations are not justified because the levels of such contaminant in the public water systems do not represent a threat. Directs the Administrator to publish maximum contaminant level goals and simultaneously promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for each other substance which may have an adverse effect on human health. Requires the Administrator to publish an annual list establishing priorities for the review of such substances, considering substances regulated as toxic water pollutants under the Clean Water Act and substances registered as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Directs the Administrator, within three years of each contaminant's being listed on such priority list, to simultaneously propose and then publish either maximum contaminant level goals and national primary drinking water regulations or else a determination that such regulations are not justified. Requires that each maximum contaminant level goal allow an adequate margin of safety and that each national primary drinking water regulation specify a maximum level which is as close to the goal as is feasible. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate a national primary drinking water regulation that requires the use of an acceptable treatment technique in lieu of establishing a maximum contaminant level if it is not economically or technologically feasible to establish such a level. Directs the Administrator to propose and promulgate primary drinking water regulations specifying when public water systems using surface water as a source of supply must use filtration. Directs the Administrator to provide procedures for States or the EPA to use when determining which of such systems within its jurisdiction must use filtration. Requires States to prescribe compliance schedules and necessary regulations. Directs the Administrator to promulgate disinfection regulations applicable to all public water systems, including variances and technical assistance. Directs the Administrator to provide the Science Advisory Board an opportunity to comment prior to proposal of a maximum contaminant level goal and national primary drinking water regulation. Authorizes the Administrator to issue compliance orders as well as bring civil suits to enforce these provisions. Directs the Administrator to amend regulations to provide for varying types and frequencies of public notice of violations by a public water system, depending upon their frequency and seriousness. Requires a State to prescribe within one year a schedule of compliance and implementation of control measures at the same time it grants an exemption. Permits the primary enforcing authority (State or Administrator in the case of four States and the District of Columbia) to extend the exemption for up to three years after the issue date if a system in good faith cannot meet the standard without capital improvements, financial assistance, or has agreed to become part of a regional public water system. Permits exemption renewals for systems with 500 or fewer service connections. Authorizes the Administrator to take into consideration the size of a public water system and the contaminants likely to be found in its drinking water in requiring a system to monitor for unregulated contaminants. Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations requiring every public water system to conduct a monitoring program for unregulated contaminants at least once every five years, unless the number of persons served or the likely contaminants require greater frequency. Authorizes the primary State enforcement authority to delete contaminants for an individual system after Administrator approval of the assessment. Authorizes the Administrator to provide technical assistance to small public water systems to enable them to comply with national drinking water standards. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1989. Establishes criminal and civil penalties for tampering with a public water system. Extends to natural gas storage operations specified limitations on regulation of underground injection of brine or other fluids which are brought to the surface in connection with oil or natural gas production. Prohibits the disposal of hazardous waste by underground injection above or into a formation which contains an underground source of drinking water unless such injection is part of a required corrective or response action. Requires States with primary enforcement responsibility to enforce such prohibition. Directs the Administrator to require groundwater monitoring at all locations to detect fluid migration into underground drinking water sources from a class I injection well unless no potential for migration exists. Requires the Administrator to report to the Congress by September 1987 on State surveys of disposal wells which discharge nonhazardous waste into or above underground sources of drinking water. Directs the Administrator to issue a compliance order or commence a civil action if a State does not enforce violations of the underground injection control program. Quintuples the maximum per day penalty for violations. Revises other provisions relating to the imposition of civil penalties. Establishes procedures for the development, implementation, and assessment of demonstration programs designed to protect critical aquifer protection areas located within areas designated as sole or principal aquifers under specified provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Sets forth factors to be considered when identifying such critical areas, including the existence of recharge zones, the number of persons affected, alternate supplies, and the economic and ecological costs of inactivity. Authorizes the Administrator to enter into cooperative agreements with an applying State or local government to provide a 50 percent grant for the costs of developing and implementing a comprehensive management plan for the protection area. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1989. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 through 1989 for the following programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act: (1) research, technical assistance, information, personnel training; (2) grants for State programs for supervision of public water systems; and (3) grants for State programs for underground water source protection. Provides that any need certifications or orders issued under provisions for assurances of availability of adequate supplies of water treatment chemicals shall remain in effect for up to one year.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
3 January 1985
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Source: IntroReferral
3 January 1985
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
21 March 1985
Committee
Subcommittee on Toxic Substances. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 99-49.
Source: Committee
2 May 1985
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Source: Committee
15 May 1985
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 131.
Source: Calendars
15 May 1985
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported to Senate by Senator Durenberger with amendments. With written report No. 99-56.
Source: Committee
15 May 1985
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported to Senate by Senator Durenberger with amendments. With written report No. 99-56.
Source: Committee
16 May 1985
Passed
Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
16 May 1985
Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
17 June 1985
Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
17 June 1985
Floor
Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
Source: Floor
17 June 1985
Floor
House Incorporated H.R.1650 in This Measure as an Amendment.
Source: Floor
17 June 1985
Passed
Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
10 July 1985
Passed
Senate disagreed to House amendments, requested a conference and appointed conferees. Stafford; Durenberger; Simpson; Bentsen; Baucus.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
18 July 1985
ResolvingDifferences
House Insisted on its Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
18 July 1985
NotUsed
Resolving differences -- House actions: House Insisted on its Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Source: NotUsed
18 July 1985
Passed
House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Dingell, Waxman, Scheuer, Broyhill, Madigan.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
30 January 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference held.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
30 January 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference committee actions: Conference held.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
20 March 1986
Passed
Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
20 March 1986
Passed
Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
5 May 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference Report 99-575 Filed in House.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
5 May 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-575 Filed in House.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
6 May 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference papers, Senate report and managers' statement held at the desk.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
13 May 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference papers, Senate report and managers' statement and message on House action held at the desk.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
13 May 1986
Vote
House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 382 - 21 (Record Vote No: 120).
Source: ResolvingDifferences
13 May 1986
Vote
Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 382 - 21 (Record Vote No: 120).
Source: ResolvingDifferences
21 May 1986
ResolvingDifferences
Conference report considered in Senate.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
21 May 1986
Vote
Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 94-0. Record Vote No: 106.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
10 June 1986
President
Presented to President.
Source: President
10 June 1986
Floor
Measure Signed in Senate.
Source: Floor
10 June 1986
Floor
Presented to President.
Source: Floor
19 June 1986
Became law
Became Public Law No: 99-339.
Source: President
19 June 1986
President
Signed by President.
Source: President
19 June 1986
Became law
Signed by President.
Source: BecameLaw
Votes
Versions
No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.
Documents
6 official files
Public Law (PDF)
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Public Law (PDF)
Public Law · EN · 20 June 1986
Conference report filed in House
summary · EN · 5 May 1986
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Passed House amended
summary · EN · 17 June 1985
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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 16 May 1985
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Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 15 May 1985
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 3 January 1985
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Sponsors
- Sen. Durenberger, Dave [R-MN] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Stafford, Robert T. [R-VT] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Humphrey, Gordon J. [R-NH] · R · Sponsor
- · ssev00 · Standing
Related records
- related to → Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1985
- amends ← SAMDT 4
- amends ← SAMDT 5
- amends ← SAMDT 6
Related across the Repo ecosystem
Direct relationships are identifier-backed. Topic context means shared TopicMembership — not a citation and not causation.
Direct relationships
- Legal framework · Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 · S. 124 (99th) · US
- Identifier matchPROJECTS_FROM
Same us record 99-s-124 projected from PoliticalRepo US row.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/senate-bill/124
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/99/s/124
- us · 99-s-124 · source updated 14 January 2025