Every year, our certified operators collect thousands of samples for water quality testing by our independent, third-party, EPA-certified drinking water lab in Port Orchard, Wash. If any contaminants are detected, they are listed in the system’s annual water quality report. However, most of the contaminants we test for are not detected, so they are not shown in the report.
The table below lists all of the contaminants that the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Office of Drinking Water requires Group A water systems to test for, along with their maximum contaminant level (MCL) and state detection reporting limit (SDRL). The SDRL is the minimum reportable detection of an analyte as established by DOH.
If you have any questions about this table or about the quality of your water, please contact our Customer Service Center.
WA State DOH Primary and Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels
Inorganic Chemicals |
SDRL (mg/L) | MCL (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA Regulated (Primary) | |||
| Arsenic | 0.001 | 0.010 | |
| Barium | 0.1 | 2 | |
| Cadmium | 0.001 | 0.005 | |
| Chromium, Total | 0.007 | 0.1 | |
| Mercury | 0.0002 | 0.002 | |
| Selenium | 0.002 | 0.05 | |
| Nickel | 0.005 | — | |
| Beryllium | 0.0003 | 0.004 | |
| Antimony | 0.003 | 0.006 | |
| Thallium | 0.001 | 0.002 | |
| Cyanide | 0.05 | 0.2 | |
| Fluoride | 0.2 | 4 | |
| Nitrite-N | 0.1 | 1 | |
| Nitrate-N | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Total Nitrate/Nitrite | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Asbestos | 0.2 MFL | 7 MFL | |
| MFL = million fibers per liter at > 10 microns in length | |||
| EPA Regulated (Secondary) | |||
| Iron | 0.1 | 0.30 | |
| Manganese | 0.01 | 0.05 | |
| Silver | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Chloride | 20 | 250 | |
| Sulfate | 50 | 250 | |
| Zinc | 0.2 | 5 | |
| State Regulated | |||
| Sodium | 5 | — | |
| Hardness | 10 | — | |
| Conductivity (umhos/cm) | 70 | 700 | |
| Turbidity (NTU) | 0.1 | — | |
| Color (color units) | 15 | 15 | |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 100 | 500 | |
| State Unregulated | |||
| Lead (at the source) | 0.001 | — | |
| Copper (at the source) | 0.02 | — | |
| Lead and Copper (at customer faucets) | |||
| Lead | — | 0.015 | |
| Copper | — | 1.3 | |
| Values referred to as MCLs for lead and copper are not actually MCLs; instead, they are called “Action Levels” under the Lead & Copper Rule. | |||
Radionuclides |
SDRL (pCi/L) | MCL (pCi/L) | |
| Units are picocuries per liter (pCi/L) | |||
| Gross alpha particle activity | 3 | 15 | |
| Radium 228 | 1 | 5* | |
| Radium 226 activity is determined only if gross alpha + radium 228 is > 5.0 pCi/L | |||
| Radium 226* | 1 | 5* | |
| Uranium activity is determined if gross alpha is > 15.0 pCi/L** | |||
| Uranium** (mass) | 1 | 30 ug/L | |
| Uranium** (activity) | 1 | 20** | |
| Depending on foregoing results, the following are determined. | |||
| Radium 226 + 228 | — | 5* | |
| Gross alpha*** + radium 228 | 5 | ||
| Gross alpha minus uranium and radon | 15 | ||
| *An MCL of 5.0 pCi/L total is allowed for Radium 226 + 228 **Uranium MCL is given in mass terms (ug/L). Mass must be converted to activity levels (pCi/L) for calculation of the MCL (gross alpha minus uranium). ***Gross alpha is used in lieu of radium 226 when the gross alpha + radium 228 is < 5.0 pCi/L. |
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Volatile Organic Chemicals |
SDRL (ug/L) | MCL (ug/L) | |
| EPA Regulated | |||
| Vinyl Chloride | 0.5 | 2.0 | |
| 1,1 – Dichloroethylene | 0.5 | 7.0 | |
| 1,1,1 – Trichloroethane | 0.5 | 200.0 | |
| Carbon Tetrachloride | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Benzene | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| 1,2 – Dichloroethane | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Trichloroethylene (TCE) | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Para-Dichlorobenzene (1,4 – Dichlorobenzene) | 0.5 | 75.0 | |
| Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| trans -1,2 – Dichloroethylene | 0.5 | 100.0 | |
| cis -1,2 – Dichloroethylene | 0.5 | 70.0 | |
| 1,2 – Dichloropropane | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Toluene | 0.5 | 1,000 | |
| 1,1,2 – Trichloroethane | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Tetrachloroethlylene (PCE) | 0.5 | 5.0 | |
| Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenze) | 0.5 | 100.0 | |
| Ethylbenzene | 0.5 | 700.0 | |
| m/p Xylenes (MCL for Total) | 0.5 | — | |
| o – Xylene (MCL for Total) | 0.5 | — | |
| Styrene | 0.5 | 100.0 | |
| Ortho-Dichlorobenzene (1,2 – Dichlorobenzene) | 0.5 | 600.0 | |
| 1,2,4 – Trichlorobenzene | 0.5 | 70.0 | |
| Total Xylenes | 0.5 | 10,000 | |
| EPA Unregulated | |||
| 1,2,3 – Trichloropropane | 0.5 | — | |
| Chloroform [screening] | 0.5 | — | |
| Chloromethane | 0.5 | — | |
| Bromomethane | 0.5 | — | |
| 1,1 – Dichloroethane | 0.5 | — | |
| Bromobenzene | 0.5 | — | |
| o – chlorotoluene | 0.5 | — | |
| State Unregulated | |||
| Fluorotrichloromethane | 0.5 | — | |
| Bromochloromethane | 0.5 | — | |
| 1,3,5 – Trimethylbenzene | 0.5 | — | |
| 1,2,4 – Trimethylbenzene | 0.5 | — | |
| sec – Butylbenzene | 0.5 | — | |
| Napthalene | 0.5 | — | |
| EDB (Ethylene Dibromide) [screening] | 0.5 | — | |
| DBCP (Dibromochloropropane) [screening] | 0.5 | — | |
| Dichlorodifluoromethane | 0.5 | — | |
Synthetic Organic Chemicals |
SDRL (ug/L) | MCL (ug/L) | |
| Herbicides | |||
| EPA Regulated | |||
| 2,4 – D | 0.5 | 70 | |
| 2,4,5 – TP (Silvex) | 0.2 | 50 | |
| Pentachlorophenol | 0.04 | 1 | |
| Dalapon | 1 | 200 | |
| Dinoseb | 0.2 | 7 | |
| Picloram | 0.1 | 500 | |
| EPA Unregulated | |||
| DCPA (Acid Metabolites) | 0.02 | — | |
| Total DCPA | 0.02 | — | |
| Dicamba | 0.2 | — | |
| 2,4 – DB | 1 | — | |
| Acifluorfen | 2 | — | |
| Chloramben | 0.2 | — | |
| 3,5 – Dichlorobenzoic Acid | 0.5 | — | |
| Pesticides | |||
| EPA Regulated | |||
| Endrin | 0.01 | 2 | |
| Lindane (BHC – gamma) | 0.02 | 0.2 | |
| Methoxychlor | 0.1 | 40 | |
| Toxaphene | 1 | 3 | |
| Alachlor | 0.2 | 2 | |
| Atrazine | 0.1 | 3 | |
| Benzo (a) pyrene | 0.02 | 0.2 | |
| Chlordane (total) | 0.2 | 2 | |
| Di (2-ethylhexyl) adipate | 0.6 | 400 | |
| Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | 0.6 | 6 | |
| Heptachlor | 0.4 | 4 | |
| Heptachlor epoxide | 0.02 | 0.2 | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | 0.1 | 1 | |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | 0.1 | 50 | |
| Simazine | 0.07 | 4 | |
| Pentachlorophenol | 0.04 | 1 | |
| PCBs (as total arochlors) | 0.2 | — | |
| Arochlor 1221 | 20 | — | |
| Arochlor 1232 | 0.5 | — | |
| Arochlor 1242 | 0.3 | — | |
| Arochlor 1248 | 0.1 | — | |
| Arochlor 1254 | 0.1 | — | |
| Arochlor 1260 | 0.2 | — | |
| Arochlor 1016 | 0.08 | — | |
| EPA Unregulated | |||
| Butachlor | 0.4 | — | |
| Dieldrin | 0.1 | — | |
| Metolachlor | 1 | — | |
| Metribuzin | 0.2 | — | |
| Propachlor | 0.1 | — | |
| Fluorene | 0.2 | — | |
| Bromacil | 0.2 | — | |
| Insecticides | |||
| EPA Regulated | |||
| Carbofuran | 0.9 | 40 | |
| Oxamyl (Vydate) | 2 | 200 | |
| EPA Unregulated | |||
| Aldicarb | 0.5 | 3 | |
| Carbaryl | 2 | — | |
| Methomyl | 4 | — | |
| Soil Fumigants (Pesticides) | |||
| EPA Regulated | |||
| EDB (Ethylene Dibromide) | 0.01 | 0.05 | |
| DBCP (Dibromochloropropane) | 0.02 | 0.2 | |
| EPA Unregulated | |||
| 1,2,3 – Trichloropropane | 0.5 | 21* | |
| *Not an MCL, but a SAL (State Advisory Level) | |||
Disinfection Byproducts |
SDRL (ug/L) | MCL (ug/L) | |
| EPA Regulated | |||
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM), sum of 4 | — | 80 | |
| — Chloroform | 0.25 | — | |
| — Bromodichloromethane | 0.5 | — | |
| — Dibromochloromethane | 0.5 | — | |
| — Bromoform | 0.5 | — | |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), sum of 5 | — | 60 | |
| — Monochloroacetic Acid | 2 | — | |
| — Dichloroacetic Acid | 1 | — | |
| — Trichloroacetic Acid | 1 | — | |
| — Monobromoacetic Acid | 1 | — | |
| — Dibromoacetic Acid | 1 | — | |
| SDRL (mg/L) | MCL (mg/L) | ||
| Bromate* | 0.001 | 0.010 | |
| *Labs that use EPA Methods 317.0, 326.0, or 321,8 must meet a 0.0010 mg/L SDRL for bromate. All other methods must meet 0.005 mg/L SDRL. | |||
Microorganisms |
MCL | ||
| Total Coliform Bacteria | N/A | ||
| Effective April 1, 2016, the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) replaced the Total Coliform Rule that had been in place for public water systems since 1989. Under the RTCR, there is no longer an MCL for total coliform bacteria. For systems that collect < 40 coliform samples per month, greater than one total coliform positive sample in a calendar month is now called a Treatment Technique Trigger (TTT). A TTT requires an investigation by a qualified person to identify where the coliforms entered the system, to take corrective action to eliminate the pathway, and to complete and submit a Level 1 Assessment to the state within 30 days. A second TTT within a 12-month rolling period requires a more comprehensive Level 2 Assessment. A third TTT will likely result in DOH requiring permanent continuous chlorination on the system if the system isn’t already chlorinated. | |||
| E. coli Bacteria | see below | ||
| The MCL is exceeded when a routine monthly sample and a “repeat” sample are total coliform positive and one of those samples is also fecal or E. coli positive. | |||
| Cryptosporidium | Log removal | ||
| Giardia Lamblia | Log removal | ||
| Legionella | Log removal | ||
| Viruses (enteric) | Log removal | ||
| Turbidity | Treatment | ||
| Log removal is based on required log removal at specific raw water quality, but has specific microbials cited. | |||