Water

OEHHA performs major risk assessment and hazard evaluation activities relating to chemical contaminants in drinking water. These activities include developing health advisories, Public Health Goals for chemical substances in drinking water, Notification Levels, and providing toxicological assistance for chemical monitoring activities for the drinking water supply. The program also provides education to the public and other governmental agencies on drinking water contamination and drinking water regulatory standards development.

Public Health Goals

Level of a chemical contaminant in drinking water that does not pose a significant risk to health

Notices

Legal notices for Public Health Goals and Notification Levels

Notification Levels

Health-based advisory levels for chemicals in drinking water

Reports

Reports focusing on water

Human Right to Water

OEHHA’s assessment framework and data tool related to drinking water quality, accessibility, and affordability

Reports, Notices, Documents

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is recommending that the State Water Resources Control Board set the notification level for perfluorohexane sulfonic acid at the lowest level at which it can be reliably detected in drinking water using currently available and appropriate technologies.

This document contains health risk information on regulated drinking water contaminants to assist public water systems in preparing these reports. NEW for the 2022 Report: New in this document are an updated Public Health Goal (PHG) for 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) and newly established PHGs for the trihalomethanes bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, and dibromochloromethane.

A Public Health Goal (PHG) is the level of a drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure. The technical support document presents the scientific information available on the toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and the calculation of the proposed PHGs.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) notification level (NL) recommendations for four cyanotoxins.

OEHHA announces the release of its final Human Right to Water Framework and Data Tool (CalHRTW 1.0)—comprised of an interactive web tool and report, Achieving the Human Right to Water in California: An Assessment of the State’s Community Water Systems.