MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS AND REGULATORY DATES
FOR DRINKING WATER
U.S. EPA VS CALIFORNIA
NOVEMBER 2008
Contaminant
U.S. EPA
MCL (mg/L)
Datea
MCL (mg/L)
California
Effective Date
Inorganics
Aluminum
0.05 to 0.2b
1/91
0.006
0.05
0.010
7 MFLc
1
2
0.004
0.010
0.005
0.05
0.1
1.3d
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
eff: 1/23/06
1/91
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
6/91
0.2
7/92
Antimony
Arsenic
Asbestos
Barium
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Fluoride
Lead
Mercury
Nickel
Nitrate
Nitrite (as N)
Total Nitrate/Nitrite (as N)
Perchlorate
Selenium
Thallium
4
4/86
2b
4/86
eff: 6/24/77
0.05e
6/91
0.015d
0.002
eff: 6/24/77
Remanded
(as N) 10
eff: 6/24/77
1
1/91
10
1/91
0.01
eff: 6/24/77
0.05
1/91
0.002
7/92
1
0.2b
0.006
0.05
0.010
7 MFLc
1
2/25/89
9/8/94
9/8/94
77
11/28/08
9/8/94
77
0.004
0.010
0.005
0.05
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
77
1b
1.3d
0.2
0.15
2
77
12/11/95
9/8/94
6/12/03
4/98
0.05 e
0.015d
0.002
0.1
(as N03) 45
1
10
0.006
0.01
0.05
0.002
77
12/11/95
77
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
9/8/94
10/18/07
77
9/8/94
9/8/94
20 pCi/L
20 pCi/L
5 pCi/L
5 pCi/L
15 pCi/L
15 pCi/L
50 pCi/Lf
4 millirem/yr
8 pCi/Lf
8 pCi/Lf
1/1/89
6/11/06
77
6/11/06
77
6/11/06
77
6/11/06
77
6/11/06
20,000 pCi/Lf
20,000 pCi/Lf
77
6/11/06
Radionuclides
30 ug/L
12/7/00
5 pCi/L
eff: 6/24/77
15 pCi/L
eff: 6/24/77
4 millirem/yr
eff: 6/24/77
Uranium
Combined Radium - 226+228
Gross Alpha particle activity
(excluding radon & uranium)
Gross Beta particle activity
8 pCi/L
Strontium-90
eff: 6/24/77
now covered by
Gross Beta
20,000 pCi/L
Tritium
Federal and State MCLsUpdated 11/28/08
eff: 6/24/77
now covered by
Gross Beta
Page 1 of 4
Contaminant
U.S. EPA
MCL (mg/L)
Datea
MCL (mg/L)
California
Effective Date
VOCS
Benzene
Carbon Tetrachloride
1,2-Dichlorobenzene
1,4-Dichlorobenzene
1,1-Dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethylene
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Dichloromethane
1,3-Dichloropropene
1,2-Dichloropropane
0.005
0.005
0.6
0.075
0.005
0.007
0.07
0.1
0.005
0.005
0.7
6/87
6/87
1/91
6/87
6/87
6/87
1/91
1/91
7/92
1/91
1/91
6/87
-
0.001
0.0005
0.6
0.005
0.005
0.0005
0.006
0.006
0.01
0.005
0.0005
0.005
0.68
0.7
0.3
0.005b
0.013
0.03
0.07
0.1
0.001
0.005
0.15
0.07
0.005
0.200
0.032
0.005
0.005
0.15
1.2
2/25/89
4/4/89
9/8/94
4/4/89
6/24/90
4/4/89
2/25/89
9/8/94
9/8/94
9/8/94
2/25/89
6/24/90
2/25/89
9/8/94
6/12/03
1/7/99
5/17/00
2/25/89
9/8/94
9/8/94
2/25/89
5/89
9/8/94
9/8/94
6/12/03
2/25/89
4/4/89
9/8/94
2/25/89
6/24/90
6/24/90
0.1
1/91
0.1
0.005
1
0.07
1/91
1/91
1/91
7/92
0.200
0.005
6/87
7/92
0.005
0.002
10
6/87
1/91
0.0005
1.750
4/4/89
2/25/89
Ethylbenzene
Methyl-tert-butyl ether
(MTBE)
Monochlorobenzene
Styrene
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene
1,2,4 Trichlorobenzene
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Trichlorofluoromethane
1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2Trifluoroethane
Vinyl chloride
Xylenes
Federal and State MCLsUpdated 11/28/08
Page 2 of 4
Contaminant
U.S. EPA
MCL (mg/L)
Datea
MCL (mg/L)
California
Effective Date
SOCS
Alachlor
Atrazine
Bentazon
Benzo(a) Pyrene
Carbofuran
Chlordane
Dalapon
Dibromochloropropane
Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
2,4-D
Dinoseb
Diquat
Endothall
Endrin
Ethylene Dibromide
Glyphosate
Heptachlor
Heptachlor Epoxide
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Lindane
Methoxychlor
0.002
0.003
1/91
1/91
0.0002
0.04
0.002
0.2
0.0002
7/92
1/91
1/91
7/92
1/91
0.4
0.006
0.1
0.07
0.007
0.02
0.1
0.0002
0.002
0.00005
7/92
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
7/92
7/92
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
7/92
1/91
0.7
0.0004
0.0002
0.001
0.05
0.004
0.0002
0.1
0.04
7/92
1/91
1/91
7/92
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
0.2
7/92
0.001
0.5
0.0005
0.004
1/91
7/92
1/91
7/92
0.005
0.003
3x10-8
0.01
0.05
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
7/92
eff: 6/24/77
1/91
Molinate
Oxamyl
Pentachlorophenol
Picloram
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Simazine
Thiobencarb
Toxaphene
2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin)
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
Federal and State MCLsUpdated 11/28/08
0.002
0.003
0.001
0.018
0.0002
0.018
0.0001
0.2
0.0001
0.0002
0.4
0.004
0.1
0.07
0.007
0.02
0.1
0.0002
0.002
0.00002
0.00005
0.7
0.00001
0.00001
0.001
0.05
0.004
0.0002
0.1
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.2
0.05
0.001
0.5
0.0005
0.010
0.004
0.07
0.001b
0.005
0.003
3x10-8
0.01
0.05
9/8/94
4/5/89
6/12/03
4/4/89
9/8/94
6/24/90
6/24/90
9/8/94
7/26/89
5/3/91
9/8/94
6/24/90
77
9/8/94
9/8/94
9/8/94
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
2/25/89
9/8/94
6/24/90
6/24/90
6/24/90
9/8/94
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
6/12/03
4/4/89
9/8/94
6/12/03
9/8/94
9/8/94
9/8/94
4/4/89
9/8/94
4/4/89
4/4/89
77
9/8/94
9/8/94
77
9/8/94
Page 3 of 4
Contaminant
U.S. EPA
MCL (mg/L)
Datea
California
MCL (mg/L)
Effective Date
Disinfection Byproducts
0.100
Total Trihalomethanes
Haloacetic acids (five)
Bromate
Chlorite
0.080
0.060
0.010
1.0
11/29/79
eff: 11/29/83
eff: 1/1/02 g
eff: 1/1/02 g
eff: 1/1/02 g
eff: 1/1/02 g
0.100
3/14/83
0.080
0.060
0.010
1.0
6/17/06
6/17/06
6/17/06
6/17/06
Treatment Technique
Acrylamide
TTh
1/91
TTh
9/8/94
h
Epichlorohydrin
TT
1/91
TTh
9/8/94
a. eff. indicates the date the MCL took effect; any other date provided indicates when USEPA
established (i.e., published) the MCL.
b. Secondary MCL.
c. MFL = million fibers per liter, with fiber length > 10 microns.
d. Regulatory Action Level; if system exceeds, it must take certain actions such as additional
monitoring, corrosion control studies and treatment, and for lead, a public education program;
replaces MCL.
e. The MCL for lead was rescinded with the adoption of the regulatory action level described in
footnote d.
f. Gross beta MCL is 4 millirem/year annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal
organ; Sr-90 MCL = 4 millirem/year to bone marrow; tritium MCL = 4 millirem/year to total body
g. Effective for surface water systems serving more than 10,000 people; effective for all others
1/1/04.
h. TT = treatment technique, because an MCL is not feasible.
Federal and State MCLsUpdated 11/28/08
Page 4 of 4
