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 (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the publication of Public Health Goals (PHGs) for four trihalomethanes (THMs) found in drinking water as a result of disinfection methods: chloroform, bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and bromoform.  A PHG is the level of a drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure.

 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 for four trihalomethanes (THMs) and the calculation of the proposed PHGs.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is recommending that the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) set the notification levels (NLs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at the lowest levels at which they can be reliably detected in drinking water using currently available and appropriate technologies.

The PHG technical support document, available for download below, provides information on the health effects of contaminants in drinking water.  The PHG is a level of drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure. 

The comment period will now close on January 4, 2019.