|
|
Water Quality & Private Wells
There are many ways drinking water may become contaminated. Contamination may result from biological (bacteria, viruses, etc.) or from chemical sources. Chemical contaminations can occur from natural sources, such as arsenic leaching from rock formations, or can result from human activities, such as agricultural or industrial operations, or from improper chemical disposal at home. Private well water is not regulated by any government agency and it is the responsibility of the individual property owner to ensure that their drinking water supply is safe by having the well water tested by a state certified laboratory. Test results from private wells can be compared to the public water system drinking water standards established by the State of California. Landlords are required to provide potable water to their tenants. Public water systems are regulated by county, state, or federal government, usually depending on the number of connections the water system serves. Public water systems are required to provide to their customers, at least once a year, a notice of water quality. While many states have adopted the safe drinking water standards of the federal government (United States Environmental Protection Agency-USEPA), the State of California has adopted its own regulatory safe water standards for public water systems that are at least as restrictive as those of the USEPA.
Links:
Questions, comments, suggestions? Send us email. | ||
This page was last updated by Webmaster |
These documents are saved in Adobe Acrobat format and
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the reports. 