Maximum Contaminant Levels

Citations and References

1. Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 116365(a).

2. Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 116365(a) (stating “[w]ith respect to acutely toxic substances, avoids any known or anticipated adverse effects on public health with an adequate margin of safety. With respect to carcinogens, or any substances that may cause chronic disease, avoids any significant risk to public health”);
   Kansas State University - Center for Hazardous Substance Research, Understanding Units of Measurement, https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.files/fileid/14285l; https://dnr.mo.gov/monitoring/understanding-data [μg/L (microgram per liter) = 1 ppb (part per billion), 1 mg/L (milligram per liter) = 1 ppm (part per million), pool example];
   State Water Resources Control Board, General CCR Reference Manual for Water Suppliers, https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/CCR.html (second/days example) (last updated Dec. 28, 2023).

3. Cal. Health & Saf. Code §§ 116365(a) & (b)(2).

4. Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 116365(g).

5. Clean Water Action, How Drinking Water Standards are Created in California, https://cleanwater.org/how-drinking-water-standards-are-created-california (explaining the process of setting PHGs and MCLs) (last visited Jun. 26, 2024);
   U.S. EPA, How EPA Regulates Drinking Water Contaminants, https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/how-epa-regulates-drinking-water-contaminants (last updated Nov. 2, 2023);
   40 C.F.R. Part 141 (National Primary Drinking Water Regulations).

6. 40 C.F.R. § 142.2.

7. Cal. Health & Saf. Code §§ 116365(b)(1), (c).

8. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Guide to Public Health Goals for Chemicals in Drinking Water, Feb. 1, 2015, https://oehha.ca.gov/water/guide-public-health-goals-chemicals-drinking-water.

9. Economic considerations include whether the state can afford to implement treatment or filtration devices to remove the contaminant from the drinking water. Technical considerations include whether the state has access to sophisticated enough technology that can do such water treatment or filtration.

10. Economic considerations include whether the state can afford to implement treatment or filtration devices to remove the contaminant from the drinking water. Technical considerations include whether the state has access to sophisticated enough technology that can do such water treatment or filtration.

11. See Cal. Health & Saf. Code §§ 116365(b)(3), (h).