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{{#badges: WaterEnergy|CoalSwarmFrackSwarm|Navbar-fracking}} test. The '''Safe Drinking Water Act''' (SDWA) is the principal federal law in the United States intended to ensure safe drinking water for the public.<ref name="SDWA1996">[http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ182/pdf/PLAW-104publ182.pdf "Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996."] ''et seq.'' 1974-12-16.</ref> Pursuant to the act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set standards for drinking water quality and oversee all states, localities, and water suppliers who implement these standards.
SDWA applies to every public water system in the United States. A public water system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 individuals, at least 60 days per year. There are currently more than 150,000 public water systems<ref>{{cite web|last=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Washington, DC|title=FACTOIDS: Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2009|url=http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/databases/drink/upload/data_factoids_2009.pdf}}</ref> providing water to almost all Americans at some time in their lives. These water systems must be analyzed by third-party analytical laboratories. <ref> [http://alsglobal.com/environmental/services/north-america-environmental-services/usa/drinking-water-testing.aspx]</ref> The Act does not cover private wells.<ref>U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Washington, DC. [http://www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/index2.html "Private Drinking Water Wells."] 2006-02-21.</ref>