Drinking Water Research: Better Planning Needed to Link Needs and Resources

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) drinking water research program, focusing on: (1) a comparison of EPA's budget requests for drinking water research during fiscal years 1997 through 2000 with: (a) the amounts authorized for such purposes by the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996; and (b) the amounts estimated by EPA to be needed to support the regulations and regulatory determinations required under the amendments; (2) the views of stakeholders--those involved with supplying and ensuring the safety of drinking water--regarding the likelihood that EPA will be able to complete the research necessary to support new regulations and regulatory decisions over the next 10 years and the potential consequences if the research is not completed; and (3) an assessment of EPA's drinking water research plans, including the tasks, projected funding, and anticipated accomplishments, to support the development of new regulations and regulatory decisions over the next 10 years.