Federal control is authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.  State control is authorized by regulations on water management planning (401 KAR 4:220), statutes on water withdrawal permitting (KRS 151) and five-mile policy that limits permitted discharges within five miles of a public water intake.

Federal

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): This link provides a nice overview of the Safe Drinking Water Act's history and trends. The 1996 reauthorization of the SDWA provided a strong connection with the Clean Water Act by emphasizing source water protection.

Clean Water Act:  See EPA introduction to the Clean Water Act -- an interactive on-line training presentation. Protection the our waterways helps protect drinking water.

State

Water Management Planning (401 KAR 4:220): Water planning is designed to assess the current and future water needs of each county and to develop alternative water supplies so that water needs will be met.

Water Withdrawal Permitting (KRS 151): Withdrawal permitting and water supply planning both serve to fulfill the water resources policy set forth in KRS 151.110. Briefly stated, the intent of this policy is to maximize the conservation and beneficial use of water, prevent flooding, maintain the normal flow of all streams and to regulate reasonably the amount of withdrawal of public waters.

Five Mile Policy: No permitted discharges shall be allow within five miles upstream of a public drinking water intake