How does capacity development fit together with other elements of the Safe Drinking Water Act?
The 1996 SDWA Amendments became law on August 6, 1996. The Amendments create a new focus on preventing contamination and noncompliance. From a small systems perspective, the major components are the West Virginia Drinking Water Treatment Revolving Fund (DWTRF), capacity development, source water protection, operator certification, consumer confidence, and variances and exemptions. These provisions are closely interrelated. Capacity development, source water protection, and operator certification are directly linked to the DWTRF. WVBPH uses set aside funds from its DWTRF to develop and implement programs addressing these three provisions. Capacity development and operator certification are also tied to the DWTRF through withholding requirements. Capacity development alone weaves together all existing drinking water program activities into a focused effort to help troubled, small systems. WVBPH has used DWTRF set aside funds to prepare a West Virginia Capacity Development Strategy. The s
