Revised On: Aug. 27, 2024 - 4:00 p.m.
More than 7 million people in Arizona get drinking water from a public water system (PWS) regulated by ADEQ. The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act sets the health standards that ensure tap water is safe to drink. ADEQ, with the help of local counties, assesses drinking water sources, establishes system design requirements, and reviews the operation and construction of public water systems. ADEQ also monitors drinking water quality through required testing of potential contaminants at all PWSs | Learn More >
Safe Drinking Water
Safe Drinking Water Section (SDWS) operates various programs to ensure PWS complies with drinking water rules. The section is comprised of three units:
Monitoring and Protection Unit
- Compliance Assistance —ADEQ's Compliance Assistance staff works to help ensure that Public Water Systems comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. They provide support and guidance during emergencies including maximum contaminant level exceedances, while also increasing outreach and training to Public Water System staff to prevent and mitigate heath standard violations | Learn More >
- Data Management — ADEQ's Data Management staff works to help ensure that the water quality data from Public Water Systems are promptly and accurately captured in the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Each year, ADEQ processes approximately 175,000 individual water quality sample results. | View SDWIS Database >
- Monitoring Assistance Program (public water systems with <10,000 people) — ADEQ's Monitoring Assistance Program (MAP) helps ensure that Public Water Systems meet regulatory requirements by conducting regular sampling and analysis of water quality. Through MAP, ADEQ helps water systems comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act by managing the collection and testing of thousands of water samples annually, thereby protecting public health and maintaining high-quality standards | Learn More >
Inspections and Compliance Unit
- Inspections — A sanitary survey is a review of a public water system to help ensure they are serving healthy drinking water. An ADEQ inspector visits the public water system and meets with the owner, operator, or onsite representative to evaluate the water components, identify deficiencies, and document the visit in an inspection report | Learn More >
- Enforcement — Enforcement is a tool to hold public water systems accountable when deficiencies are identified. Enforcement ensures public water systems return to compliance in regards to monitoring, reporting, permitting, operations, or maintenance by developing compliance conditions with timelines | Learn More >
- Source Water Protection — Source Water Protection Program safeguards surface and groundwater for current and future drinking water needs. In Arizona, the SWP Program is a voluntary program that helps protect drinking water sources through education and outreach. The program allows water systems to provide clean, healthy water while reducing or eliminating the need for expensive water treatment systems | Learn More >
Drinking Water Programs and Engineering Unit
- Operator Certification — ADEQ’s Operator Certification Program establishes standards and guidelines for the certification of drinking water and wastewater system and facility operators | Learn More >
- Engineering Review — The Drinking Water Engineering Review Program conducts a detailed technical review of public water system designs in Arizona before and after construction to ensure the systems are designed and built to standards that provide safe, potable water to customers as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) | Learn More >
- Capacity Development — The capacity development program helps strengthen the technical, managerial and financial (TMF) capacity of public water systems operations | Learn More >
- Technical Assistance Program for Small Water Systems — ADEQ provides free TMF assistance to small public water systems using skilled professionals. Help can be provided by experienced ADEQ staff and/or third party contractors | Learn More >
- Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control — Public water systems are required to protect their systems from backflow conditions wherever there is an unprotected cross-connection that could lead to the contamination of the water in the distribution system. Arizona’s Administrative Code (A.A.C) R18-4-215 establishes standards and guidelines for backflow prevention and cross-connection control | Learn More >
