This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.
  1. Water
  2. Inorganic contaminants

Inorganic contaminants

Features>Water>31. Inorganic contaminants

31. Inorganic contaminants

Intent: 

To limit the presence of inorganic contaminants in drinking water.

While there are numerous metals that are necessary for healthy body functions, high levels of these essential metals can be harmful to health. Many dissolved metals that contaminate water supplies can be acutely or chronically toxic. Contamination levels vary widely by geographic location and water source, spurring the need for localized testing. Exposure to even minute amounts of certain metals such as lead and mercury through drinking water has been linked to developmental delays and deficits in learning abilities in children, as well as high blood pressure and kidney problems in adults. If necessary, reverse osmosis (RO) systems or Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) filters can remove dissolved metals at the point of delivery.

Part 1: Dissolved Metals

All water being delivered to the project area for human consumption (at least one water dispenser per project) meets the following limits:

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
Digestive
Nervous
Cardiovascular
Urinary

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell New & Existing Buildings New & Existing Interiors
Part 1: Dissolved Metals P P P
Commercial Kitchen Education 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: Dissolved Metals Performance Test

43

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Public Health Goal for Nickel in Drinking Water. Sacramento: California Environmental Protection Agency; 2010: 1.
31.1.e

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the California EPA set a public health goal for Nickel in drinking water at 0.012 mg/L.
53

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

The WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality note a provisional guideline value of 0.01 mg/L for Lead concentrations.
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.
31.1.f

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Copper concentrations at 1.0 mg/L.
31.1.c

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Antimony concentrations at 0.006 mg/L.
31.1.b

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Arsenic concentrations at 0.01 mg/L.
31.1.d

The EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories set a Maximum Contaminant Level for Mercury (inorganic) concentrations at 0.002 mg/L.
Features>Water>31. Inorganic contaminants