Department of
Environmental Quality

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to regulate public drinking water systems. However, Congress intended that the states be responsible for carrying out the provisions of the act and encouraged them to take "primacy" of their state drinking water programs. Primacy refers to the authority of a state to carry out and enforce the provisions of the SDWA. EPA awarded Idaho primacy in 1978.

The goal of Idaho's drinking water program is to protect public health by making sure that the state's public drinking water systems are safe from contamination. To attain this goal, DEQ provides technical assistance and support to systems and collects fees to support these drinking water protection activities.

Historically, Idaho's drinking water program was funded through the state's Water Pollution Control Account. Idaho Code Section 39-119 authorizes DEQ to "charge and collect" fees for services. Idaho's Rules for Public Drinking Water Systems require all regulated public water systems to pay an annual fee assessment. Currently, the program is funded about one-third by annual fee assessments and two-thirds by an annual grant from the EPA.

Fee Schedule

Fees are based on the number of connections* as follows:

* The annual fee for transient noncommunity public water systems is $25.

Services DEQ Provides to Public Water Systems

Drinking water fees are used to ensure safe drinking water for Idahoans through support of the state's drinking water program, which provides technical support and assistance to water systems to help them comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act in the simplest and least expensive ways possible. DEQ's Drinking Water Program uses the funds for program operating expenses, capital outlay (which includes the purchase of monitoring equipment loaned to water systems), and staff. Technical assistance includes:

• working with systems to ensure compliance with minimum federal requirements
• conducts sanitary surveys and on-site visits to prevent public health problems
• reviewing water system plans and specifications
• conducting training sessions for system operators
• holding public information meetings
• loaning of specialized monitoring equipment
• issuing monitoring waivers when appropriate (monitoring waivers save $700-$900 per year per well)
• providing informational updates on drinking water-related topics of interest
• providing workshops to assist community water systems in preparing the annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
• offering assistance in preparing federally required public notifications when violations occur
• providing emergency response to systems requesting assistance

In addition, qualified small systems are eligible to receive low-interest loans to upgrade their systems and thereby protect their customers.