Last week, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced approval by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council of new Aquifer Water Quality Standards (AWQS). These standards update the legal safety limits for pollutants in groundwater – an especially important step in Arizona, where more than 80% of residents rely on groundwater for drinking water.
The updated AWQS are based on maximum contaminant levels set by U.S. EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and include new or revised limits for seven contaminants, such as arsenic and uranium, that can harm human health at high concentrations.
Most facilities with individual Aquifer Protection Program (APP) permits must begin monitoring for the new and updated contaminants within three months and submit permit amendments to ADEQ within four years of the AWQS effective date. The final rule will be published in the Arizona Administrative Register later this month, and ADEQ will work closely with APP permittees to implement the new standards.
See more information here.
