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Water utilities have a legal responsibility to provide an adequate supply of safe, highquality drinking water to their customers. Disruptions in water quality and delivery can result from emergencies such as natural disasters, accidents, or intentional acts.

The 1974 Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) briefly refers to "emergency circumstances" in Title XIV, Part B, Section 1413 (a):

For purposes of this title, a State has primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems during any period for which the Administrator determines (pursuant to regulations prescribed under Subsection (b)) that such state ... (5) has adopted and can implement an adequate plan for the provision for safe drinking water under emergency circumstances.

While primary enforcement agencies throughout the country can be expected to devote considerable attention to the standards addressed by the SDWA, water utilities should not wait for agencies to mandate any aspect of emergency planning. Water utilities should consider themselves responsible for providing water under emergency circumstances. Regardless of their size and location, utilities should prepare for emergencies before they occur and be able to quickly restore water service.