The Nation : Water Safeguards Voted

With no recorded opposition, the Senate sent President Reagan a bill to strengthen the Safe Drinking Water Act by creating a national program to protect underground aquifers from pollutants. The bill became the first important piece of environmental legislation to clear Capitol Hill and go to the White House since the 99th Congress began nearly 18 months ago. The proposal, passed 382 to 21 by the House on May 13, would authorize a big jump in spending through 1991. A principal feature is a requirement that states develop and get Environmental Protection Agency approval for plans to protect so-called wellhead areas that provide water to public systems.