NDWAC Membership

On this page:

Composition of Council
Ethics Requirements
NDWAC Working Groups

Composition of the Council

The fifteen member National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) includes the general public, state and local agencies, and private groups that are concerned with safe drinking water and public health. The council also includes three technical advisors.

What is the composition of membership?

The NDWAC has 15 members who serve as Special Government Employees. Members are appointed by EPA's Administrator. The Administrator may delegate this responsibility to the Deputy Administrator.

Five members are appointed from each of the following areas:

Appropriate state and local agencies concerned with public water supply and public health protection
Private Organizations or groups demonstrating an active interest in the field having an active interest in public water supply or public water hygiene, of which 2 members will represent small, rural public water systems
The general public

Ethics for advisory council members

NDWAC members are required to file a confidential financial disclosure report when first appointed to participate in an advisory activity and then annually thereafter.

Members must complete a "Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Activities at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," EPA Form 3110-48 (PDF) (10 pp, 347 K, About PDF). This form is used by government officials to determine whether there are ethics issues with regard to the service of an advisory council member.

Members of the council may also be required to update the confidential form before each meeting while they serve.

Who are the technical advisors from other federal advisory committees or federal agencies?

A member of EPA's Science Advisory Board, a Federal Advisory Committee on science and research issues, and 2 employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serve as technical liaisons to the NDWAC. They attend all NDWAC meetings and conference calls.

Subgroups

EPA may form NDWAC subcommittees or working groups for any purpose consistent with the charter. Such subcommittees or working groups work through the NDWAC.

Subcommittees or working groups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the NDWAC nor can they report directly to EPA.

Ethics Requirements

Members of the NDWAC are employed as Special Government Employees (SGEs) as defined under 18 U.S.C. 202(a). As such, SGEs are required to abide by appropriate ethics regulations issued by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Among these requirements are the submission of a confidential financial disclosure form and completion of ethics training.

Read the ethics for advisory committee members.

NDWAC Working Groups

On occasion, NDWAC working groups are formed to address key issues and make recommendations to the council. These working groups are subsets of the council and may contain other national experts. These working groups have no authority to report directly to the EPA.