United States
Environmental Proter-ion
Safe Drinking Water Is
In Our Hands
Existing Standards
and Future Priorities
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Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
MISSION
The Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, states, tribes, and our many
partners will protect public health by ensuring safe drinking water and
protecting ground water.
PRINCIPLES
We will accomplish this mission using the following principles:
• Prevention as an effective approach
• Risk-based priority setting for new and existing regulations, using sound
science, quality data, and good standards
• Partnership and involvement of public and private organizations,
citizens and communities
• Flexibility and effectiveness in implementation while maintaining a
national public health baseline
• Accountability of all parties through public participation and accessible
information
• Results documented and presented clearly
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National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
Contaminant
MCLG1
(mg/L)4
MCL2
orTT3
(mg/L)4
Potential Health Effects
from exposure to contaminants
at levels exceeding standards
INORGANIC CHEMICALS
Antimony
Arsenic
Asbestos (fiber >10
micrometers)
Barium
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium (total)
Copper
0.006
none5
7 million
fibers per Liter
2
0.004
0.005
0.1
1.3
0.006
0.05
7MFL
2
0.004
0.005
0.1
TT6
Increase in blood cholesterol; decrease
in blood glucose
Skin damage; circulatory system
problems; increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of developing benign
intestinal polyps
Increase in blood pressure
Intestinal lesions
Kidney damage
Allergic dermatitis
Short term exposure: Stomach or
intestinal problems; Long term exposure:
Cyanide (as free cyanide)
Fluoride
Lead
Inorganic Mercury
Nitrate (measured as
Nitrogen)
0.2
4.0
zero
0.002
10
0.2
4.0
TT6
0.002
10
Liver or kidney disease. Those with
Wilson's Disease should consult their
personal doctor if their water systems
exceed the copper action level.
Nerve damage or thyroid problems
Bone disease (pain and tenderness)
Infants and children: Delays in physical
or mental development; slight deficits in
attention span and learning abilities;
Adults: Kidney problems, high blood
pressure
Kidney damage
"Blue baby syndrome" in infants under
six months - life threatening without
immediate medical attention.
Symptoms: Infant looks blue and has
shortness of breath
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[National Primary Drinking Water Contaminants j
continued
Contaminant
MCL (mg/L)
Potential Health Effects
Nitrite (measured as
Nitrogen)
1
Selenium
Thallium
ORGANIC CHEMICALS
Acrylamide
Alachlor
Atrazine
0.05
0.0005
0.05
0.002
"Blue baby syndrome" in infants under
six months - life threatening without
immediate medical attention.
Symptoms: Infant looks blue and has
shortness of breath
Hair or fingernail loss; numbness in
fingers or toes; circulatory problems
Hair loss; changes in blood; kidney,
intestine, or liver problems
zero
zero
0.003
IT
0.002
0.003
Nervous system or blood problems;
increased risk of cancer
Eye, liver, kidney, or spleen problems;
anemia; increased risk of cancer
Weight loss; cardiovascular system
problems; reproductive difficulties
Benzene
Benzo(a)pyrene
Carbofuran
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlordane
Chlorobenzene
2,4-D
Dalapon
1,2-Dibromo-3-
chloropropane (DBCP)
o-Dichlorobenzene
p-Dichlorobenzene
zero
zero
0.04
zero
zero
0.1
0.07
0.2
zero
0.6
0.075
0.005
0.0002
0.04
0.005
0.002
0.1
0.07
0.2
0.0002
0.6
0.075
Anemia; decrease in blood platelets;
increased risk of cancer
Reproductive difficulties; increased risk
of cancer
Problems with blood, nervous system or
reproductive system
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Blood or nervous system problems;
increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems
Kidney, liver, or adrenal gland problems
Minor kidney changes
Reproductive problems; increased risk of
cancer
Liver, kidney, or circulatory system
problems
Anemia; liver, kidney or spleen damage;
changes in blood
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[National Primary Drinking Water Contaminants | continued
Contaminant
1 ,2-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethylene
cis-1 ,2-Dichloroethylene
trans-1 ,2-Dichloroethylene
Dichloromethane
1 ,2-Dichloropropane
Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
Dinoseb
Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)
Diquat
Endothall
Endrin
Epichlorohydrin
Ethylbenzene
Ethylene dibromide
Glyphosate
Heptachlor
Heptachlor epoxide
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorocyclipentadiene
Lindane
Methoxychlor
Oxamyl (Vydate)
MCLGCng/D
zero
0.007
0.07
0.1
zero
zero
0.4
zero
0.007
zero
0.1
.02
0.002
zero
0.7
zero
0.7
zero
zero
zero
0.05
0.0002
0.04
0.2
MCL (mg/L)
0.005
0.007
0.07
0.1
0.005
0.005
0.4
0.006
0.007
0.00000003
0.1
.02
0.002
TT7
0.7
0.00005
0.7
0.0004
0.0002
0.001
0.05
0.0002
0.04
.2
Potential Health Effects
Increased risk of cancer
Liver problems
Immune system problems
Liver or immune system problems
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of cancer
General toxic or reproductive difficulties
Adverse reproductive effects; increased
risk of cancer
Reproductive difficulties
Reproductive difficulties; increased risk
of cancer
Cataracts
Stomach and intestinal problems
Nervous system effects; convulsions
Stomach problems; increased risk of
cancer
Liver or kidney problems
Stomach, kidney, or reproductive system
problems; increased risk of cancer
Kidney problems; adverse reproductive
effects
Liver damage; increased risk of cancer
Liver damage; increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems; adverse
reproductive effects; increased risk of
cancer
Kidney problems
Liver or kidney problems; increased risk
of cancer
Reproductive difficulties
Slight nervous system effects
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[National Primary Drinking Water Contaminants j
continued
Contaminant
Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs)
Pentachlorophenol
Picloram
Simazine
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
Total Trihalomethanes
(TTHMs)
Toxaphene
MCLG(mg/D
zero
zero
0.5
0.004
0.1
zero
1
none5
zero
MCL(mg/L)
0.0005
0.001
0.5
0.004
0.1
0.005
1
0.10
0.003
Potential Health Effects
Skin changes; thymus gland problems;
immune deficiencies; reproductive or
nervous system difficulties; increased
risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems; increased risk of
cancer
Liver problems
Problems with blood
Liver, kidney and blood problems
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Nervous system, kidney, or liver problems
Liver, kidney or central nervous system
problems; increased risk of cancer
Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems;
increased risk of cancer
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Vinyl chloride
Xylenes (total)
RADIONUCLIDES
Beta particles ane
emitters
Gross alpha particle
activity
Radium 226 & Radium
228 (combined)
zene
ane
ane
photon
,le
diurn
0.05
0.07
0.20
0.003
zero
zero
10
none5
none5
none5
0.05
0.07
0.2
0.005
0.005
0.002
10
4 millirems
per year
15picocuries
per Liter
(pCi/L)
5 pCi/L
Liver problems
Changes in adrenal glands
Liver, nervous system or circulatory
problems
Liver, kidney or immune system
problems
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of cancer
Nervous system damage
Increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of cancer
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iNational Primary Drinking Water Contaminants 1 continued
Contaminant
MICROORGANISMS
Giardia lamblia
Heterotrophic Plate Count
(HPC)
Legionella
Total Coliforms (including
decal coliform and E. colt)
Turbidity
Viruses (enteric)
MCLG(mg/L)
zero
N/A
zero
zero
N/A
zero
MCL(mg/L)
TT8
TT8
TT8
5.0%9
TT8
TT8
Potential Health Effects
Giardiasis, a gastroenteric disease
HPC has no health effects but can indicate
how effective treatment is at controlling
microorganisms.
Legionnaire's Disease, commonly known
as pneumonia
Used as an indicator that other, potentially
harmful bacteria may be present10
Turbidity has no health effects but can
interfere with disinfection and provide a
medium for microbial growth. It may
indicate the presence of microbes.
Gastroenteric disease
NOTES
1) Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) — The maximum level of a contaminant in drinking
water at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur, and
which allows for an adequate margin of safety. MCLGs are non-enforceable public health goals.
2) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) — The maximum permissible level of a contaminant in
water which is delivered to any user of a public water system. MCLs are enforceable standards.
The margins of safety in MCLGs ensure that exceeding the MCL slightly does not pose
significant risk to public health.
3) Treatment Technique — An enforceable procedure or level of technical performance which
public water systems must follow to ensure control of a contaminant.
4) Units are milligrams per Liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted.
5) MCLGs were not established before the 1986 SDWA Amendments. Therefore there is no
MCLG for this contaminant.
6) Lead and copper are regulated in a Treatment Technique which requires systems to take tap
water samples at sites with lead pipes or copper pipes that have lead solder and/or are
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[National Primary Drinking Water Contaminants [
continued
served by lead service lines. The action level, which triggers water systems into taking
treatment steps if exceeded in more than 10% of tap water samples, for copper is 1.3 mg/L
and for lead is 0.015 mg/L
7) Each water system must certify in writing to the state (using third-party or manufacturer's
certification) that when acrylamide and epichlorohydrin are used in drinking water systems, the
combination (or product) of dose and monomer level does not exceed the levels specified as
follows:
Acrylamide=0.05% dosed at 1 mg/L (or equivalent)
Epichlorohydrin=0.01% dosed at 20 mg/L (or equivalent).
8) The Surface Water Treatment Rule requires systems using surface water or ground water under
the direct influence of surface water to (1) disinfect their water and (2) filter their water or meet
criteria for avoiding filtration so that the following contaminants are controlled at the following
levels:
Giardia lamblia: 99.9% is killed/inactivated
Viruses: 99.99% are killed/inactivated
Legionella: No limit, but EPA believes that if Giardia and viruses are inactivated, Legionella will
also be controlled
Turbidity: At no time can turbidity (cloudiness of water) go above 5 nephelolometric turbidity units
(NTU); systems that filter must ensure that the turbidity go no higher than 1 NTU (0.5 NTU for
conventional or direct filtration) in at least 95% of the daily samples for any 2 consecutive months.
HPC: No more than 500 bacterial colonies per mL.
9) No more than 5.0% samples total coliform-positive in a month. (For water systems that
collect fewer than 40 routine samples/month, no more than one sample can be total coliform-
positive). Every sample that has total coliform must be analyzed for fecal coliforms. There
cannot be any fecal coliforms.
10) Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be
contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea,
cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
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National Secondary
Drinking Water
Regulations
• CONTAMINANT NSDWR
Aluminum
Chloride
Color
Copper
Corrosivity
Fluoride
Foaming Agents
Iron
Manganese
Odor
number
pH
Silver
Sulfate
Total Dissolved Solids (IDS)
Zinc
0.05 to 0.2 mg/L
250 mg/L
15 (color units)
1.0 mg/L
noncorrosive
2.0 mg/L
0.5 mg/L
0.3 mg/L
0.05 mg/L
3 threshold odor
6.6-8.5
0.10 mg/L
250 mg/L
500 mg/L
5 mg/L
Drinking Water Historical Priorities
Pre-SDWA: Public Health Service regulated 22 contaminants
Establish basic EPA drinking water program and
national standards.
Accelerate pace of drinking water standards and
focus on carcinogens (25 every 3 years)
Risk based priority setting-(5 determinations
every 5 years); greater flexibility-small systems
and economics; drinking water source assess-
ment and protection; state loan fund; consumer
confidence reports and public involvement
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Timeline of SDWA Activities
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
I - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1
Cor,t8rr,,ru8f,t Candidate List 'CCL) Published
X
w' , , , CCL Regulatory peternMnations
^~ Consumer Confidence Report Regulation
- - »»- Capacity Development Guidance
^- Treatment Technology Usts I • F fat Butt
*»- Variance and Exemption Rule |* taptewflta&w
X Existing Monitoring Requirements Review JX Otter «*•*.» noted
- *~ Lead and Copper Rule Minor Revteiont
*- Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
(ESWTRj
S»- OisMedar^Distfifection Byproduct Rule (D^D6PR)(
Stagel
s»- Operator Certification Guidelines
»»~ Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
•»> Underground Injection Control, Class V
•»- Pu«*c Notification Revisions
t»- Radon Rule
^ Friter Badcwasti Recycing
l»- Long Term ESWTR 1
i^ - ' •*- Radionudides
s>- Arsenic
•^ Ground Water Rule
^O^BPRStage2
'
Long Term ESWTR 2
Water
Sqyrce Protection
x ............... x
. !>>• Ai
Drying Water State Revolving Fund
* *****# + * + **• jf +** + #* + ******t
^^
Wrastn^^e I^^A Survey
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
I - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 I - 1 - 1
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Establishing Drinking Water Priorities
The Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List, published March 2,
1998, will help establish priorities for the future of EPA's drinking
water program. It is comprised of contaminants that are known or
anticipated to occur in public water systems. Contaminants for
priority drinking water research; occurrence monitoring; guidance
development, including health advisories; and possible regulations,
will be drawn from the CCL.
The following table divides the CCL into categories representing the
next steps and data needs for each contaminant. The groupings are
based on current information, and some movement of contaminants
between categories can be expected as more information is evaluated
and analyzed.
Regulation Determination Priorities - The Agency will select five
or more contaminants from this list and determine, by August 2001,
whether to regulate them. Regulations must be proposed by August
2003, and set by February 2005.
Occurrence and Research Priorities - More data are needed for
contaminants on these lists before the Agency can determine
whether to regulate them. Obtaining this data will be the priority of
our research and occurrence programs.
Next, EPA will determine which contaminants to address first in all
categories, and outline plans of action for making regulatory
decisions for five or more contaminants. To accomplish these
goals, the Agency will develop short-term and long-term research
plans on health, treatment, and analytical methods; develop an
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation for gathering
occurrence data; and plan special occurrence studies.
The contaminant identification and selection cycle repeats every five
years. Every six years, EPA will re-evaluate existing regulations.
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Next Steps for Contaminants on
the Contaminant Candidate List
Regulatory
Determination
Priorities
Acanthamoeba (guidance)
1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane
1,1-dichloroethane
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene
1,3-dichloropropene
2,2-dichloropropane
Aldrin
Boron
Bromobenzene
Dieldrin
Hexachlorobutadiene
p-lsopropyltoluene
Manganese
Metolachlor
Metribuzin
Naphthalene
Organotins
Triazines & degradation products
(including, but not limited to
Cyanazine and Atrazine-desethyl)
Sulfate
Vanadium
Next Steps for Contaminants on
the Contaminant Candidate List
Adenoviruses*
Aeromonas hydrophila
Cyanobacteria (Blue-
green algae), other
freshwater algae, and
their toxins*
Caliciviruses*
Coxsackieviruses
Echoviruses
Helicobacter pylori*
Microsporidia*
1,2-diphenylhydrazine*
2,4,6-trichlorophenol*
2,4-dichlorophenol*
2,4-dinitrophenol*
2,4-dinitrotoluene
2,6-dinitrotoluene
2-methyl-phenol*
Alachlor ESA* and
Occurrence Priorities
Acetochlor*
DCPA(Dacthal)mono-add
& di-acid degradates
DDE
Diazinon
Disulfoton
Diuron
EPIC (s-Ethyl-
dipropylthiocarbonate)
Fonofos*
Linuron
Molinate
MTBE
Nitrobenzene
Perchlorate
Prometon
RDX*
Terbacil
Terbufos
* Suitable analytical methods must be developed prior to obtaining occurrence data.
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Next Steps for Contaminants on
the Contaminant Candidate List
Research Priorities
Health
Research
Treatment
Research
Analytical Methods
Research
Aeromonas hydrophila
Cyanobacteria (Blue-green
algae), other freshwater
algae, and their toxins
Caliciviruses
Helicobacter pylori
Microsporidia
Mycobacterium avium
intercellulare (MAC)
Adenovimses
Aeromonas hydrophila
Cyanobacteria (Blue-green
algae), other freshwater
algae, and their toxins
Caliciviruses
Coxsackieviruses
Echoviruses
Adenovimses
Cyanobacteria (Blue-green
algae), other freshwater
algae, and their toxins
Caliciviruses
Helicobacter pylori
Microsporidia
1,2-diphenylhydrazine
1,1-dichloropropene
1,3-dichloropropane
Aluminum
DCPA mono-acid & di-acid
degradates
Methyl bromide
Methyl tert-butyl ether
(MTBE)
Perchlorate
Sodium (guidance)
Helicobacter pylori
Microsporidia
Mycobacterium
avium intracellulare
(MAC)
Aluminum
MTBE
Perchlorate
2,4,6-trichlorophenol
2,4-dichlorophenol
2,4-dinitrophenol Phenols
2-methyl-Phenol
Acetochlor
Alachlor ESA
Fonofos
Perchlorate
RDX (cyclo trimethylene
trinitramine)
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Current Standards Timetable
REGULATION FINAL
National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations
Radionuclides National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulation
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations
Thihalomethane National Interim Primary Drinking Water Rule
Fluoride Rule ,
Phase 1 VOCs & Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring
Public Notification Rule
Total Coliform Rule
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Lead & Copper Rule
Phase II/IIB SOCs, lOCs
(38 Contaminants & Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring)
Phase V Rule (18 SOCs and 5 Inorganic Chemicals)
Information Collection Rule
Safe Drinking Water Act Reauthorized
December 24, 1975
July 9, 1976
July 19, 1979
November 29, 1979
April 2, 1986
July 8, 1987
October 18, 1987
June 29, 1989
June 29, 1989
June 7, 1991
January 30, 1991 (II)
July 1,1991(118)
July 19, 1992
May 14, 1996
August 6, 1996
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For More Information
EPA Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water
homepage location:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1 (800) 426-4791
EPA/OGWDW: (202) 260-5543
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