EPA Primary Drinking Water Regulations
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Note: This document reflects the United States Environmental Protection Agency National Primary Drinking Water Regulations currectly in effect.
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Primary (Health-Related) Microbial & Turbidity Contaminants
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Contaminants
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MCL**
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Turbidity
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0.5 to 1 NTU in 95% of samples; maximum of 5 NTU under certain circumstances
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Coliform bacteria
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zero in 95% of samples
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Giardia lamblia cysts
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99.9% reduction or inactivation
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Viruses
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99.99% reduction or inactivation
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Primary (Health-Related) Radionuclide Contaminants
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Contaminants
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MCL**
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Beta particle and photon activity (formerly manmade radionuclides)
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4 mrem/year
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Gross alpha particle activity
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15 pCi/L
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Radium 226 & Radium 228
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5 pCi/L
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Radon
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3,000 pCi/L
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Uranium
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0.03 mg/L
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MCL** = Maximum Contaminant Level expressed in milligrams per liter unless otherwise specified.
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Primary (Health-Related) Inorganic Contaminants
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Contaminants
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MCL**, mg/L
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Antimony
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0.006
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Arsenic (+3)
Arsenic (+5)
Arsenic (organic complexes)
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0.02/0.002 (P)* (total arsenic)
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Asbestos
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7 million fibers per liter (MFL) (longer than 10 microns)
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Barium
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2.
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Beryllium
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0.004
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Cadmium
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0.005
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Chromium (+3)
Chromium (+6)
Chromium (organic complexes)
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0.1 (total chromium)
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Copper
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1.3 (action level)
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Cyanide
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0.2
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Fluoride
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4.0
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Lead
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0.015 (action level)
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Mercury (+2)
Mercury (HgCl3-1)
Mercury (organic complexes)
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0.002 (total mercury)
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Nickel
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0.1
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Nitrate plus nitrite (as nitrogen)
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10
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Nitrite (as nitrogen)
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1
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Selenium (+4)
Selenium (+6)
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0.05 (total selenium)
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Sulfate
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500 (P)*
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Thallium
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0.002
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(P)* = Proposed Standard
MCL** = Maximum Contaminant Level expressed in milligrams per liter unless otherwise specified.
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Primary (Health-Related) Organic Contaminants
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Contaminants
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MCL**, mg/L
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Acrylamide
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0.0005 (action level)
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Adipates (diethylhexyl)
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0.5
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Alachlor
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0.002
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Aldicarb
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0.003
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Aldicarb sulfone
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0.002
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Aldicarb sulfoxide
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0.004
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Atrazine
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0.003
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Benz(a)anthracene (PAH)
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0.0001 (P)*
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Benzene
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0.005
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Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH)
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0.0002
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Benzo(b)fluoranthene (PAH)
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0.0002 (P)*
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Benzo(k)fluoranthene (PAH)
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0.0002 (P)*
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Butyl benzyl phthalate (PAE)
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0.1 (P)*
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Carbofuran
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0.04
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Carbon Tetrachloride
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0.005
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Chlordane
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0.002
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Chrysene (PAH)
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0.0002 (P)*
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2,4-D
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0.07
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Dalapon
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0.2
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Di[2-ethylhexyl]adipate
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0.4
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Dibenz(a,h)anthracene (PAH)
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0.0003 (P)*
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Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)
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0.0002
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Dichlorobenzene (ortho-)
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0.6
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Dichlorobenzene (meta-)
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0.6
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Dichlorobenzene (para-)
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0.075
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Dichloroethane (1,2-)
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0.005
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Dichloroethylene (1,1-)
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0.007
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Dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-)
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0.07
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Dichloroethylene (trans-1,2-)
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0.1
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Dichlorormethane (methylene chloride)
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0.005
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Dichloropropane (1,2-)
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0.005
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Diethylhexyl phthalate (PAE)
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0.006
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Dinoseb
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0.007
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Diquat
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0.02
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Endothall
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0.1
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Endrin
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0.002
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Epichlorohydrin
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0.002 (action level)
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Ethylbenzene
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0.7
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Ethylene dibromide (EDB)
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0.00005
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Glyphosate
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0.7
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Heptachlor
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0.0004
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Heptachlor epoxide
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0.0002
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Hexachlorobenzene
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0.001
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Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
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0.05
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Indenol(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene (PAH)
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0.0004 (P)*
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Lindane
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0.0002
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Methoxychlor
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0.04
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Monochlorobenzene
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0.1
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Oxamyl (vydate)
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0.2
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Pentachlorophenol
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0.001
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Pichloram
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0.5
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Polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs)
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0.0005
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Simarzine
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0.004
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Styrene
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0.1
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2,3,7,8-TCDD (dioxin)
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3 x 10-8
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Tetrachloroethylene
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0.005
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Toluene
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1.
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Toxaphene
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0.003
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2,4,5-TP (silvex)
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0.05
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Trichlorobenzene (1,2,4)
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0.07
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Trichloroethane (1,1,1-)
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0.2
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Trichloroethane (1,1,2-)
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0.005
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Trichloroethylene
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0.005
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Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Chloroform
Bromodichloromethane
Dibromochloromethane
Bromoform
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0.100
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Vinyl chloride
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0.002
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Xylenes (total)
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10.
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(P)* = Proposed Standard
MCL** = Maximum Contaminant Level expressed in milligrams per liter unless otherwise specified.
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Results