A public water system's compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) is based on which of the following?

The compliance of a public water system with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is primarily determined by the population served. The SDWA outlines the standards for drinking water quality and is designed to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The relevant regulations apply specifically to public water systems that serve a certain number of people.

Population served is critical because it determines whether a water system is classified as a public water system and thus subject to federal or state regulations. Public water systems are categorized based on the number of year-round residents they serve, which directly influences the requirements they must meet for monitoring, treatment, and reporting, among other mandates.

While the number of connections may provide some insight into the scale of the system, it is the population served that ultimately determines compliance with the SDWA. Therefore, focusing on population is essential for understanding the framework of compliance within the act.