Public Health Regulations

The California Department of Public Health (now known as the Division of Drinking Water – DDW) sets the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for chemicals and contaminants in drinking water. Chemicals in the public water supply may not exceed the MCL.

Which agencies regulate the safe levels for perchlorate and VOCs?

At the federal level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the safe levels for hundreds of compounds in drinking water.

In the State of California, our drinking water regulations are prepared by DDW.

And while perchlorate and VOCs are explored at the state and federal levels, our water currently meets or surpasses all current state and federal standards for safety.

What are the current MCLs for perchlorate and VOCs?

Chemical	Most Recent Effective Date	Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)	Public Health Goal (PHG)
Perchlorate	2007	6 ppb*	1 ppb
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)
Trichloroethylene (TCE)	1989	5 ppb*	1.7 ppb
Trichloroethylene (PCE)	1989	5 ppb*	0.06 ppb

*ppb = parts per billion

What are the perchlorate and VOC levels in SCV Water's drinking water?

Our drinking water is tested thousands of times before reaching our customers’ tap to ensure water  meets state and federal standards. Wells that undergo treatment for constituents that exceed the MCL are designed with ion exchange vessels in a lead/lag configuration. This type of design helps ensure there are no detections going into the distribution system.

Visit the DDW website to learn more about regulations for contaminants in drinking water.