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  1. Water
  2. Organic contaminants

Organic contaminants

Features>Water>32. Organic contaminants

32. Organic contaminants

Organic contaminants pose serious threats to human health. They have been associated with an increased risk for cancers and a variety of other adverse health effects. Organic contaminants in surface and ground water come from both natural and man-made sources, including industrial activities that inadvertently add chemical runoff into water sources.

This feature sets maximum safety limits for organic contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), benzene and styrene. Activated carbon filters are effective in removing these and other harmful chemical substances, but they cannot effectively eliminate microorganisms.

Part 1: Dissolved Metals

Water from all kitchen faucets and drinking fountains, if present, meets the following requirements:

a.53 Lead less than 0.01 mg/L.
b.54 Arsenic less than 0.01 mg/L.
c.54 Antimony less than 0.006 mg/L.
d.54 Mercury less than 0.002 mg/L.
e.43 Nickel less than 0.012 mg/L.
f.54 Copper less than 1.0 mg/L.
Reproductive
Nervous
Immune
Endocrine
Digestive
Urinary

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell Tenant Improvement New Construction
Part 1: Dissolved Metals P P P
Commercial Kitchen Schools Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 1: Dissolved Metals P P P P P

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
PART 1 (Performance)
Dissolved Metals 		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.
32.1.b

The California Environmental Protection Agency regulates Benzene in drinking water to a Maximum Contaminant Level set at 0.001 mg/L.
32.1.c

The California Environmental Protection Agency regulates Ethylbenzene in drinking water to a Maximum Contaminant Level of 0.3 mg/L.
32.1.f

The California Environmental Protection Agency regulates Toluene in drinking water to a Maximum Contaminant Level set at 0.15 mg/L.
45

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Public Health Goal for Styrene in Drinking Water. Sacramento: California Environmental Protection Agency; 2010: 1.
32.1.a

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the California EPA set a public health goal of Styrene in water at 0.5 µg/L.
53

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

The WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality set a guideline value for Xylene concentrations at 0.5 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.
32.1.h

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Tetrachloroethylene concentrations at 0.005 mg/L.
32.1.d

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations at 0.0005 mg/L.
32.1.e

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Vinyl Chloride at 0.002 mg/L.
Features>Water>32. Organic contaminants