This is the insert from a pamphlet provided by the State of New Jersey regarding acceptable levels of various compounds in the drinking water.
Federal and NJ State Primary Drinking Water Standards as of January 1994
Volatile Organic Compounds
Contaminants Maximum Contanminant
Levels [MCL]
[ug/l or ppb]
Benzene 1*
Carbon Tetrachloride 2*
meta-Dichlorobenzene 600*
ortho-Dichlorobenzene 600*
para-Dichlorobenzene 75*
1,2-Dichloroethane 2*
l,l-Dichloroethylene 2*
cis-l,2-Dichloroethylene 10*
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene 10*
1,2-Dichloropropane 5
Ethylbenzene 700
Methylene Chloride
[Dichloromethane] 2*
Monochlorobenzene 4*
Styrene 100
Tetrachloroethylene 1*
Toluene 1,000
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 8*
1,1,1-Trichloroethane 26*
1,1,2-Trichloroethane 5
Trichloroethylene 1*
Vinyl Chloride 2*
Xylenes [total] 44*
* N.J. MCL [A-280]
INORGANICS
Contaminants Maximum Contaminant
Levels [MCL]
[ug/l or ppb]
Antimony 6
Arsenic 50
Asbestos 7 X 108 fibers/i > 1Oum
Barium 2,000
Beryllium 4
Cadmium 5
Chromium 100
Copper 1,300**[AL]
Cyanide 200
Fluoride 4,000
Lead 15**[AL]
Mercury 2
Nickel 100
Nitrate[as nitrogen] 10,000
Nitrite 1,000
[combined nitrate/nitrite 10,000]
Selenium 50
Thallium 2
* N.J. Secondary MCL 9
**An [AL] action level is not an MCL. It is a trigger point at which
remedial action is to take place.
Synthetic Organic Compounds
Contaminants Maximum Contaminant Levels [MCL]
[ug/l or ppb]
Alachlor 2
Aldicarb +
Aldicarb Sulfone +
Aldicarb Sulfoxide +
Atrazine 3
Benzo[a]pyrene 0.2
Carbofuran 40
Chlordane 0.5*
Dalapon 200
Dibromochloropropane [DBCP] 0.2
Di[2-ethylhexyl]adipate 400
DiC2-ethylhexyl]phthalate 6
Dinoseb 7
Diquat 20
Endothall 100
Endrin 2
Ethylene dibromide [EDB] 0.05
Glyphosate 700
Heptachlor 0.4
Heptachlor Epoxide 0.2
Hexachlorobenzene 1
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 50
Lindane 0.2
Methoxychlor 40
Oxamyl 200
PCBs 0.5*
Pentachlorophenol 1
Picloram 500
Simazine 4
Toxaphene 3 2,3,7,8-TCDD [Dioxin] 3X10-5
2,4-D 70
2,4,5-TP [Silvex] 50
*N.J. MCL [A-280]
+No MCL - Monitoring Required
Secondary Standards[primarily aesthetic] Contaminant MCLs [
mg/l or ppm]
Aluminum 0.05 to 0.2
Chloride 250
Color 10 color units*
Copper 1.3 [AL]*
Corrosivity +/-1.0 of optimum
pH as determined by Langlier
Index, or another method
acceptable to NJDEP*
Fluoride 0.8-1.2*
Foaming Agents [ABS/LAS] 0.5
Hardness [as CaCO3] 250 upper limit*
50 lower limit"
Iron 0.3
Manganese 0.05
Odor 3 threshold odor
number
pH 6.5-8.5
Silver 0.1
Sodium 50
Sulfate 250*
Taste No objectionable
taste
Total Dissolved Solids[TDS] 500
Zinc 5
Key: One milligram per liter [mg/l] = one part per million = one cent in $10,000 or one second in 12 days. One microgram per liter [ug/l] = one part per billion = one cent in $10,000,000 or one second in 32 years.
Trihalomethanes 100 ug/l [ppb]
Total of Dichlorobromomethane, Chlorodibromomethane, Bromoform and Chloroform.
Radionuclides are elements such as radium and uranium. Combined radium 226 and radium 228 has an MCL of 5 picocuries/l (pCi/l). The MCL for gross alpha particle activity [including radium 226 but excluding radon and uranium] is 15 pCi/l.
Turbidity is measured by use of an instrument called a nephelometer, and expressed as nephelometric turbidity units [NTU]. No more than 5% of the samples may exceed 0.5 NTU, nor any sample exceed 5 NTU.
Coliform bacteria standards are based on the presence or absence of coliforms in a sample. The number of samples collected by a public water system is determined by the size of the population served. A system collecting at least 40 sampleslmonth can have coliform in no more than 5% of the samples. A system collecting fewer than 40 sampleslmonth can have no more than one coliform positive. Any number exceeding these amounts triggers an MCL exceedence.
Synthetic Organic Compounds
Contaminants Maximum Contaminant Levels [MCL]
[ug/l or ppb]
Alachlor 2
Aldicarb +
Aldicarb Sulfone +
Aldicarb Sulfoxide +
Atrazine 3
Benzo[a]pyrene 0.2
Carbofuran 40
Chlordane 0.5*
Dalapon 200
Dibromochloropropane [DBCP] 0.2
Di[2-ethylhexyl]adipate 400
DiC2-ethylhexyl]phthalate 6
Dinoseb 7
Diquat 20
Endothall 100
Endrin 2
Ethylene dibromide [EDB] 0.05
Glyphosate 700
Heptachlor 0.4
Heptachlor Epoxide 0.2
Hexachlorobenzene 1
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 50
Lindane 0.2
Methoxychlor 40
Oxamyl 200
PCBs 0.5*
Pentachlorophenol 1
Picloram 500
Simazine 4
Toxaphene 3 2,3,7,8-TCDD [Dioxin] 3X10-5
2,4-D 70
2,4,5-TP [Silvex] 50
*N.J. MCL [A-280]
+No MCL - Monitoring Required
Secondary Standards [primarily aesthetic]
Contaminant MCLs
[mg/l or ppm]
Aluminum 0.05 to 0.2
Chloride 250
Color 10 color units*
Copper 1.3 [AL]*
Corrosivity +/-1.0 of optimum
pH as determined by Langlier
Index, or another method
acceptable to NJDEP*
Fluoride 0.8-1.2*
Foaming Agents [ABS/LAS] 0.5
Hardness [as CaCO3] 250 upper limit*
50 lower limit"
Iron 0.3
Manganese 0.05
Odor 3 threshold odor
number
pH 6.5-8.5
Silver 0.1
Sodium 50
Sulfate 250*
Taste No objectionable
taste
Total Dissolved Solids[TDS] 500
Zinc 5
* N.J. Secondary MCL 9
New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
Water Supply Element
Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
CN 426
Trenton, NJ 08625-0426
Tel. # 609-292-5550
Fax. # 609-292-1654