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Public water additives

Features/Water/Feature 34

Public water additives

Intent: 

To limit the presence of certain disinfectants, disinfection byproducts and fluoride in drinking water.

BACKGROUND

Sometimes, chemicals are intentionally added to water supplies. For example, chlorine or chloramine may be added to water to act as disinfectants, and fluoride may be added to prevent tooth decay. Although the addition of small amounts of these chemicals is beneficial for public health and safety, excessive exposure can lead to adverse effects, including fluorosis (aesthetic mottling of the teeth), stomach discomfort and eye and skin irritation. In addition, the use of chlorine can lead to the formation of disinfectant byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), which have been linked to cancer and kidney damage.

Part 1
Disinfectants

All water being delivered to the project area for human consumption (at least one water dispenser per project) meets the following limits:
a.42
Total chlorine less than 4 mg/L.
b.54
Chloramine less than 4 mg/L.

Part 2
Disinfectant Byproducts

All water being delivered to the project area for human consumption (at least one water dispenser per project) meets the following limits:
a.54
Total trihalomethanes less than 0.08 mg/L.
b.54
Total haloacetic acids less than 0.06 mg/L.

Part 3
Fluoride

All water being delivered to the project area for human consumption (at least one water dispenser per project) meets the following limits:
a.54
Fluoride less than 4.0 mg/L.