本文讨论了《安全饮用水法》下新的铅和铜法规的内容和影响。新规则适用于所有社区水系统和所有非临时、非社区水系统。铅的临时MCL被“行动水平”所取代，这将触发规定的治疗技术。新规定包括:铅和铜的最高污染物水平目标；处理技术，包括腐蚀控制、水处理和铅服务线更换；监控、公告和记录保存；以及差异和合规时间表等管理方面。11个表格提供了该规则的具体要求。当铅超过0.015 mg/L的“作用水平”或铜超过1.3 mg/L时，需要采用处理技术。所有大型水系统都需要进行腐蚀控制研究，除非它们能够证明腐蚀控制已得到优化。 如果在连续两个六个月的监测期内，小型系统不超过“作用水平”，则认为它们具有最佳的腐蚀控制。即使在实施腐蚀控制和水源水处理后，仍继续超过行动水平的公用事业公司必须根据需要更换铅服务管线。除了监测铅和铜，所有大型水系统——以及超过“行动水平”的小型或中型系统——都必须监测水质中的其他成分。法律纠纷可能出现在三个方面:环保主义者希望在客户的水龙头处看到铅的MCL；将用户水龙头处的水质监测视为超出公共供水系统权限的不当扩展的公用事业公司；以及谁拥有并必须更换某些铅服务线的争议。包括6个参考文献、表格。

This article discusses the content and implications of new lead and copper regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The new rule applies to all community water systems and all nontransient, noncommunity water systems. The interim MCL for lead is replaced by "action levels," which trigger prescribed treatment techniques. The new rule contains: maximum contaminant level goals for lead and copper; treatment techniques that include corrosion control, water treatment, and lead service line replacement; monitoring, public notification, and record keeping; and administrative facets such as variances and compliance schedules. Eleven tables provide specific requirements of the rule. Treatment techniques are required when lead exceeds an "action level" of 0.015 mg/L or copper exceeds 1.3 mg/L. All large water systems are required to conduct corrosion control studies unless they can show that corrosion control has been optimized. Small systems are considered to have optimized corrosion control if they do not exceed the "action levels" during each of two consecutive six-month monitoring periods. Utilities that continue to exceed action levels, even after instituting corrosion control and source water treatment, must replace lead service lines as needed. In addition to monitoring for lead and copper, all large water systems--and small or medium systems that exceed the "action levels"--must monitor water quality for additional constituents. Legal disputes may arise on three fronts: environmentalists who want to see an MCL for lead at the customer's tap; utilities who see water quality monitoring at the customer's tap as an improper extension of authority beyond the public water system; and disputes over who owns and must replace certain portions of lead service lines. Includes 6 references, tables.