United States Environmental Proter-ion Safe Drinking Water Is In Our Hands Existing Standards and Future Priorities ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- [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 ------- [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 ------- [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 ------- 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 ------- [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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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) ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- |