Safe Drinking Water Guidelines

All Drinking Water Systems are Required by the California Department of Health Services to Provide Consumers With the Following Information:

All drinking water, including bottled water, in all communities may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and, in some cases, radioactive material. It can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water before it is treated include:

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
• Pesticides, which may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Health Services prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Limits are also established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systems disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or for EPA and Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection from Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at:

1-800-426-4791

More EPA information on drinking water