Water Regulations & Inspections
School Water Testing Pilot Program
The Louisiana Department of Health has launched a pilot program for testing drinking water on an annual basis at some elementary schools, in accordance with Act 632 of the 2018 Regular Session of the State Legislature. The Department has chosen 12 public schools with buildings that were constructed prior to 1986 or may otherwise be susceptible to drinking water contamination.
Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund
The Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund Program (DWRLF) was established in 1997 in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 to provide low-interest loans and technical assistance to public water systems in the state to assist them in complying with Federal and State drinking water regulations and to ensure that their customers are being provided with safe drinking water in order to protect the public health. This program is funded through Environmental Protection Agency capitalization grants which are matched each year with 20% state monies.
Safe Drinking Water
The Safe Drinking Water Program provides comprehensive drinking water protection to the citizens and visitors of Louisiana supervising public water systems for compliance with state and federal drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Program objective is to prevent illness and death that can occur from waterborne disease outbreaks or chemical exposure associated with contaminated drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Program accomplishes this objective by the activities listed below.
- Monitoring: Collection, analysis and review of bacteriological and chemical samples to ensure compliance with maximum contaminant levels, treatment technique requirements, monitoring and analytical requirements.
- Inspections: Sanitary surveys and site inspections are conducted to evaluate the capability of a drinking water system to consistently and reliably deliver an adequate quality and quantity of safe drinking water to the consumer and to ensure compliance with state and federal drinking water regulations.
- Engineering Plan Review: Conducts reviews of and issues permits for new construction and modification of public water systems including the source, treatment, storage and distribution facilities to ensure the quality and protection of drinking water.