The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking participation from small businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations in developing a regulation for perchlorate in drinking water. This regulation aims to protect public health by setting a national standard for perchlorate levels in public water supplies.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes the EPA to establish such regulations for contaminants. In this case, a court order has mandated the development of a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) specifically for perchlorate (ClO4-). The EPA has committed to issuing a proposed rule by November 2025 and a final regulation by May 2027.
To ensure that the regulation considers the potential impact on small entities, the EPA is establishing a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This panel will include representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the EPA itself.
The SBAR Panel is seeking Small Entity Representatives (SERs) to provide advice and recommendations on the potential economic impact of the proposed rule on small businesses and organizations. The EPA is specifically encouraging self-nominations from small public water systems serving 10,000 or fewer people, who will likely be directly affected by the regulation. Trade associations representing small public water systems are also welcome to participate.
