Drinking Water

Access to clean drinking water is essential for human health. That’s why Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to regulate the nation’s public drinking water supply. Authorized by the SDWA, the US EPA has set national health-based standards to protect against naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water. The US EPA, states, and water systems work together to ensure these standards are met.

UK purchases approximately 1.5 million gallons of water per day from one of these water systems. UK’s Physical Plant Maintenance and Operations staff ensure that campus systems are functioning properly so that this water can be safely delivered to the campus population. UK’s Environmental Quality Management Department (EQM) is responsible for ensuring this water is safe. Detailed information about drinking water on UK’s campus can be found on the following pages.