National Primary Drinking Water RegulationsNational Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs or primary standards) are legally enforceable standards that apply to public water systems. Primary standards protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water. Visit the list of regulated contaminants with links for more details.
- List of Contaminants & their Maximum Contaminant Level (MCLs)
- Setting Standards for Safe Drinking Water to learn about EPA's standard-setting process
- EPA's Regulated Contaminant Timeline (PDF File)
- National Primary Drinking Water Regulations - The complete regulations regarding these contaminants available from the Code of Federal Regulations Website
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs or secondary standards) are non-enforceable guidelines regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water. EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards.
- List of National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations
- National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations - The complete regulations regarding these contaminants availible from the Code of Federal Regulations Website.
This list of contaminants which, at the time of publication, are not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR), are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems, and may require regulations under SDWA. For more information check out the list, or vist the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) website.
EPA 816-F-02-013
July 2002
Long term exposure: Liver or kidney damage
People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor if the amount of copper in their water exceeds the action level
Adults: Kidney problems; high blood pressure
Nervous system or blood problems; increased risk of cancer
Eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems; anemia; increased risk of cancer
Cardiovascular system or reproductive problems
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
Liver or nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems
Reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer
Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems
Anemia; liver, kidney or spleen damage; changes in blood
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of cancer
Weight loss, liver problems, or possible reproductive difficulties.
Reproductive difficulties; liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer
Increased cancer risk, and over a long period of time, stomach problems
Problems with liver, stomach, reproductive system, or kidneys; increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems; reproductive difficulties; increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems
Reproductive difficulties
Slight nervous system effects
Skin changes; thymus gland problems; immune deficiencies; reproductive or nervous system difficulties; increased risk of cancer
Liver or kidney problems; increased cancer risk
Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems
Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems; increased risk of cancer
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
certain minerals that are radioactive and may emit forms of radiation known as photons and beta radiation
1
Definitions:
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
- The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)
- The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL)
- The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG)
- The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
Treatment Technique
- A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
2 Units are in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted. Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million.
3 EPA's surface water treatment rules require 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:
4 more than 5.0% samples total coliform-positive in a month. (For water systems that collect fewer than 40 routine samples per month, no more than one sample can be total coliform-positive per month.) Every sample that has total coliform must be analyzed for either fecal coliforms or E. coli if two consecutive TC-positive samples, and one is also positive for E.coli fecal coliforms, system has an acute MCL violation.
5 Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
6 Although there is no collective MCLG for this contaminant group, there are individual MCLGs for some of the individual contaminants:
7 MCLGs were not established before the 1986 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Therefore, there is no MCLG for this contaminant.
8 Lead and copper are regulated by a Treatment Technique that requires systems to control the corrosiveness of their water. If more than 10% of tap water samples exceed the action level, water systems must take additional steps. For copper, the action level is 1.3 mg/L, and for lead is 0.015 mg/L.
9 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:
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs or secondary standards) are non-enforceable guidelines regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water. EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards.
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