Drinking Water Protection Act

Summary: Drinking Water Protection Act - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit to Congress a strategic plan for assessing and managing risks associated with cyanotoxins in drinking water provided by public water systems. (Cyanotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.) Requires the plan to include steps and time lines to:  evaluate the risk to human health from drinking water contaminated with cyanotoxins;  establish, publish, and update a comprehensive list of cyanotoxins that are harmful to human health;  summarize the known adverse human health effects of cyanotoxins and the factors that cause cyanobacteria to grow rapidly and make toxins;  determine whether to publish health advisories for harmful cyanotoxins and establish relevant guidance;  recommend feasible treatment options; and  enter into cooperative agreements with, and provide technical assistance to, affected states and public water systems to manage risks associated with cyanotoxins.    

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Drinking Water Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT.

    (a) Amendment.--At the end of part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) add the following new section:

``SEC. 1459. CYANOTOXIN RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT.

    ``(a) Strategic Plan.--
            ``(1) Development.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
        of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall develop 
        and submit to Congress a strategic plan for assessing and 
        managing risks associated with cyanotoxins in drinking water 
        provided by public water systems. The strategic plan shall 
        include steps and timelines to--
                    ``(A) evaluate the risk to human health from 
                drinking water provided by public water systems 
                contaminated with cyanotoxins;
                    ``(B) establish, publish, and update a 
                comprehensive list of cyanotoxins determined by the 
                Administrator to be harmful to human health when 
                present in drinking water provided by public water 
                systems;
                    ``(C) summarize--
                            ``(i) the known adverse human health 
                        effects of cyanotoxins included on the list 
                        published under subparagraph (B) when present 
                        in drinking water provided by public water 
                        systems; and
                            ``(ii) factors that cause cyanobacteria to 
                        proliferate and express toxins;
                    ``(D) with respect to cyanotoxins included on the 
                list published under subparagraph (B), determine 
                whether to--
                            ``(i) publish health advisories pursuant to 
                        section 1412(b)(1)(F) for such cyanotoxins in 
                        drinking water provided by public water 
                        systems;
                            ``(ii) establish guidance regarding 
                        feasible analytical methods to quantify the 
                        presence of cyanotoxins; and
                            ``(iii) establish guidance regarding the 
                        frequency of monitoring necessary to determine 
                        if such cyanotoxins are present in drinking 
                        water provided by public water systems;
                    ``(E) recommend feasible treatment options, 
                including procedures and equipment, to mitigate any 
                adverse public health effects of cyanotoxins included 
                on the list published under subparagraph (B); and
                    ``(F) enter into cooperative agreements with, and 
                provide technical assistance to, affected States and 
                public water systems, as identified by the 
                Administrator, for the purpose of managing risks 
                associated with cyanotoxins included on the list 
                published under subparagraph (B).
            ``(2) Updates.--The Administrator shall, as appropriate, 
        update and submit to Congress the strategic plan developed 
        under paragraph (1).
    ``(b) Information Coordination.--In carrying out this section the 
Administrator shall--
            ``(1) identify gaps in the Agency's understanding of 
        cyanobacteria, including--
                    ``(A) the human health effects of cyanotoxins 
                included on the list published under subsection 
                (a)(1)(B); and
                    ``(B) methods and means of testing and monitoring 
                for the presence of harmful cyanotoxins in source water 
                of, or drinking water provided by, public water 
                systems;
            ``(2) as appropriate, consult with--
                    ``(A) other Federal agencies that--
                            ``(i) examine or analyze cyanobacteria; or
                            ``(ii) address public health concerns 
                        related to harmful algal blooms;
                    ``(B) States;
                    ``(C) operators of public water systems;
                    ``(D) multinational agencies;
                    ``(E) foreign governments; and
                    ``(F) research and academic institutions; and
            ``(3) assemble and publish information from each Federal 
        agency that has--
                    ``(A) examined or analyzed cyanobacteria; or
                    ``(B) addressed public health concerns related to 
                harmful algal blooms.
    ``(c) Use of Science.--The Administrator shall carry out this 
section in accordance with the requirements described in section 
1412(b)(3)(A), as applicable.
    ``(d) Feasible.--For purposes of this section, the term `feasible' 
has the meaning given such term in section 1412(b)(4)(D).''.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that includes--
            (1) an inventory of funds--
                    (A) expended by the United States, for each of 
                fiscal years 2010 through 2014, to examine or analyze 
                cyanobacteria or address public health concerns related 
                to harmful algal blooms; and
                    (B) that includes the specific purpose for which 
                the funds were made available, the law under which the 
                funds were authorized, and the Federal agency that 
                received or spent the funds; and
            (2) recommended steps to reduce any duplication, and 
        improve interagency coordination, of such expenditures.