Regulations & Standards

Regulations and Standards

Regulations and standards embody an important aspect of protecting drinking water quality. National laws may govern how a local municipality ensures drinking water quality. The national government may also set the minimum standards for drinking water quality. However, it is often up to the municipalities to decide the best ways in which to achieve and maintain acceptable drinking water quality levels.

Regulation of the land uses around well fields is one example of ways in which water quality is protected. A further example is the monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in the water.

Other tools for protecting water resources:
· Design Standards
· Groundwater monitoring
· Household Hazardous Waste Collection
· Public Education
· Purchase of Property of Development Rights
· Site Plan Review
· Source Prohibitions
· Subdivision Ordinances
· Water Conservation
· Zoning Ordinances

A few of the laws and regulations pertaining to drinking water & groundwater:

Higienos Norma 44-1993 Poþeminio Vandens Vandenvieèiø ir Vandentiekio Vamzdynø Sanitarinës Apsaugos Zonos Projektavimo ir Prieþiûros Higienos Normos Bei Taiyklës [Hygiene Norms and Rules of Designing and Supervision of Sanitary Protection Zone of Groundwater Intakes and Networks]

The Environmental Protection Law of the Republic of Lithuania
The Underground Law of the Republic of Lithuania
The Law on Water
The Law on Local Self-government
The Ministry of Environmental Protection provides on-line access to many environmental laws and can be accessed at: http://www.lrs.lt/n/eng/DPaieska.html
http://195.182.68.5/Teise/teise_e.htm
Higienos Norma 48-1994

Other Resources

Sample drinking water quality standards from the U.S.
Technical Fact Sheets provide information regarding the health effects, usage patterns, and environmental fate of certain materials often regulated in drinking water.
(These are formatted as large Text Files)
Inorganic Chemicals,
Synthetic Organic Chemicals,
Volatile Organic Chemicals