This letter from the EPA emphasizes the agency's commitment to protecting public health and ensuring drinking water safety. It highlights the shared responsibility between the EPA and states under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

Key areas of focus include:

• Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) Implementation: The EPA is increasing oversight of state programs to identify and address deficiencies in LCR implementation. States are urged to optimize corrosion control, improve public health communication, and remove lead service lines.
• Near-term Actions for States: The letter requests specific actions from states, such as confirming LCR consistency, using EPA guidance for sampling and corrosion control, posting LCR protocols and guidance online, increasing transparency of materials inventories and compliance sampling results, and enhancing efforts to provide residents with lead sampling results and risk information.
• EPA Support: The EPA will provide information, conduct training, and is working to revise and strengthen the LCR (with proposed revisions expected in 2017).
• Broader Drinking Water Challenges: Beyond lead, the EPA recognizes challenges from legacy and emerging contaminants, infrastructure needs, and the importance of sustained investment, technology, and accountability in drinking water systems.