Testing the tap
Since 1990, California public water utilities have provided an annual Water Quality Report to their customers. South Coast Water District vigilantly safeguards your water supply. As in years past, the water delivered to your home or business meets the quality standards required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW).
As water travels over the surface of land or through the layers of the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal and human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include
· Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
· Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban/storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining and farming.
· Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gasoline stations, urban/ storm water runoff, agricultural applications and septic systems
· Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production or mining activities.
· Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban/storm water runoff, and residential uses.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, USEPA and the DDW prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Drinking water, including bottled water, 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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426–4791.
The South Coast Water District Quality Report is available at scwd.org/report.
