Drinking Water
“Our mission is to protect public health and the environment by providing oversight, guidance, and support, while fostering collaboration with safe drinking water partners.”
Safe drinking water is vital to the public health, welfare, and economy of Nevada. The moment a person opens a drinking water tap, it represents perhaps the most intimate connection between public trust and the government's duty to protect public health. Unlike many other day-to-day government activities, drinking water regulation has a direct and immediate effect on the well-being of every citizen.
News and Program Updates
August 2023 - The fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), which began this year and continues through 2026, is looking at 29 PFAS compounds and lithium in drinking water. Sampling has or will be conducted at all large (serving > 10,000 people) and medium (serving between 10,000 and 3,300 people) public water systems (PWS), as well as a representative number of small (serving less than 3,300 people) systems across the United States. The first set of analytical results, representing about 7% of all the data that will be collected, was released August 17th, 2023. There will be subsequent data releases every quarter through 2026. For information on PFAS, including health effects, Nevada occurrence information, treatment, and funding opportunities visit the NDEP PFAS in Nevada webpage. For information on lithium, visit EPA’s UCMR 5 page.
NDEP will be communicating Public Notification and Consumer Confidence Report requirements to the PWS as results are released.
July 2023 – Interest in drinking water system compliance is high. The Bureau of Safe Drinking Water reviews compliance data from about 600 public water systems based on State and Federal regulations. If a water system’s data exceeds a maximum contaminant level or an action level, we refer to that system as being non-compliant. Nevada currently has 16 systems that are non-compliant with health-based primary drinking water standards and 9 systems that are non-compliant with other secondary drinking water standards. This report, Nevada Public Water Systems in Non-Compliance with Drinking Water Standards - PDF, will be updated quarterly.
March 2023 - EPA announced the issuance of a proposed PFAS regulation in March of 2023.
December 2022 - Proposed regulation amendments include increasing laboratory certification application fees, contaminant category fees, and a general cleanup of regulations. A Public Workshop was held on December 16, 2022. The following information was presented at the workshop:
November 2022 – Proposed regulation amendments include restructuring and increasing engineering plan review fees, increasing the annual permit to operate a public water system, a new water hauler inspection fee, and general cleanup of regulations. A Public Workshop was presented on Thursday, November 3, 2022. Following is information that was presented at the Public Workshop.
Interested parties may provide comments by emailing Brendon Grant at bgrant@ndep.nv.gov or mailing to NDEP-BSDW, 901 S. Stewart St., Ste. 4001, Carson City, Nevada 89701. Submit written comments by November 9, 2022, for NDEP consideration and inclusion in testimony to the State Environmental Commission (SEC). The SEC meeting will be held on December 14, 2022, and the website will be updated once public notice of the meeting is issued.
Lead in Nevada’s Drinking Water
Since February 2016, the issue of lead in drinking water gained a lot of national attention. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has developed a Lead Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page regarding lead and Nevada’s efforts to keeps our drinking water safe. NDEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water has also developed a table listing current lead compliance data for public water systems in Nevada.
Current lead compliance data - January 2023 (pdf)
Specific water system information can also be accessed through the NDEP’s Drinking Water Watch website. Please use Internet Explorer to access this site. Your water system will be listed on your water bill. If you don’t get a water bill (i.e. you live in an apartment), ask your housing manager for that information.
Please contact us, (775) 687-9521, if you have any questions.
