AWWA JAW52976

This column discusses a new federal rulemaking agreement that has set the stage for deploying improved techniques for finding and inactivating chlorine-resistant Cryptosporidium oocysts and for ensuring delivery of tap water that complies systemwide with disinfection byproduct (DBP) standards. The two-stage microbial/disinfection byproduct regulatory initiative embodies an unprecedented collaborative and concerted effort by water suppliers, regulators, researchers, and public health and environmental interest groups to tackle the task of simultaneously reducing risks from newfound chlorine-resistant pathogens and the harmful byproducts of widely used and trusted chlorine disinfection. Includes tables.