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  1. Water
  2. Agricultural contaminants

Agricultural contaminants

Features>Water>33. Agricultural contaminants

33. Agricultural contaminants

Exposure to herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers that enter the water supply from agricultural and stormwater runoff has been linked to kidney, liver, gastrointestinal and reproductive health issues. While these are typically not found in high enough concentrations to cause acute health problems, they can be difficult to contain and remediation strategies often require action at the municipal and industrial level.

This feature calls for the responsible management of herbicide, pesticide and fertilizer usage to help limit leaching into water sources. This feature also sets maximum safety limits for common pesticides and herbicides detected in indoor drinking water. If detected, these contaminants can be removed with carbon filters.

Part 2: Fertilizers

Water from all kitchen faucets and drinking fountains meets the following requirement:

a.54 Nitrates as N less than 10 mg/L.
Part 2: Microorganisms

All water being delivered to the project area except water not designated for human contact meets the following requirements:

a.54 Total coliforms (including E. coli) are not detected in the sample.
Urinary
Reproductive
Endocrine
Digestive
Nervous
Cardiovascular

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell Tenant Improvement New Construction
Part 2: Fertilizers P P P
Part 2: Microorganisms P P P
Commercial Kitchen Schools Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 2: Fertilizers P P P P P
Part 2: Microorganisms P P P P P

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
PART 2 (Performance)
Fertilizers 		Performance Test
PART 2 (Performance)
Microorganisms 		Performance Test

44

California Water Boards. Maximum Contaminant Levels and Regulatory Dates for Drinking Water US EPA vs California. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/documents/dwdocuments/MCLsEPAvsDWP-2014-07-01.pdf. Sacramento: California Environmental Protection Agency; 2014.
33.1.a

The California Environmental Protection Agency regulates Atrazine in drinking water to a Maximum Contaminant Level of 0.001 mg/L.
53

World Health Organization. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality Fourth Edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2011: 26, 371, 383, 416, 433.
33.1.b

The WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality set a guideline value for Simazine concentrations at 0.002 mg/L.
54

Office of Water. 2012 Edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories. Washington D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 2012: 2, 3, 5-11.
33.1.c

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Glyphosate concentrations at 0.7 mg/L.
33.1.d

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid concentrations at 0.07 mg/L.
33.2.a

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Nitrate (as N) concentrations at 10 mg/L.
Features>Water>33. Agricultural contaminants