E.P.A. Arrangement with Amtrak Brings Greater Drinking Water Protections for Riders

(PHILADELPHIA - April 26, 2012) The E.P.A. has entered into an arrangement with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for the railroad's passengers and crews. To better protect the riding public from illnesses caused by microbiological contamination, the arrangement requires Amtrak to monitor all the drinking water systems on its railcars and provide enhanced maintenance for its water systems.

"This arrangement is a significant step forward in assuring safe water supplies for the in excess of 25 million people in the U.S. who travel by rail each year," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. "Rail passengers deserve to feel confident that the water we drink on the train is safe."

The consent order requires Amtrak to provide multi-level drinking water protection for all of its train operations throughout the US, including those where it provides contract services. These protections include: enhanced monitoring for pathogens including e. coli; proper disinfection and system flushing; corrective action and notification when necessary; timely follow-up monitoring; preventive maintenance, and, reporting and record keeping. In the past, Amtrak only sampled its railcars' drinking water systems on a random basis.

This arrangement will assure that Amtrak provides the protections set forth in the Safe Drinking Water Act for public water systems to riders of Amtrak's fleet of approximately 1,500 railcars. According to Amtrak, over 78,000 passengers ride in excess of 300 Amtrak trains per day.

A copy of the consent order will be accessible after four p.m. today at this site: http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/index.htm.

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