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Table of Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - New York State Maximum Contamination Allowed in Water InspectAPedia®  -     Allowable limits of water contaminants in drinking water What are the action levels for different contaminants found in drinking water? New York State example of maximum level of water contaminants allowed

Limits of allowable levels of water contaminants: when testing drinking water the contaminant limits listed here assist in deciding when water purification or other water treatment is needed. This table provides the allowable limits of various contaminants found in drinking water.

While the table of water contamination ingredients and allowable levels is from New York State, these limits or similar numbers will apply in most jurisdictions. Water contamination limits and testing requirements in the U.S. are regulated by the Federal Clean Drinking Water act.

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Table of Allowable Limits of Water Contaminants

Subpart 5-1 of the New York State Sanitary Code defines "Maximum Water Contaminant Level' as the permissible level of a contaminant in water which is delivered to any user of a public water system. New York State does not regulate private drinking water supplies (single family homes on well water).

Most lenders require at least a confirmation of "potable" water meaning that bacteria count and coliform bacteria count is less than 1 CFU per 100 ml. of drinking water in the water test sample. Some lenders require water passing the FHA "Short" or FHA "Long" test list items. Readers of this page should also see Drinking Water Supply, Contamination Levels, Water Testing Procedures.

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Notes about drinking water contaminant acceptable levels

(a) mg/L = milligrams per liter

(b) If iron and manganese are present, the total concentration of both should not exceed 0.5 mg/L.

© Water containing more than 20 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking by people of severely restricted sodium diets. Water containing more than 270 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking by people on moderately restricted sodium diets.

(d) Color test result expressed as Platinum Cobalt Color Units

(e) Odor test result expressed as Threshold Odor Number

(f) If nitrate and nitrite are present, the total concentration of both should not exceed 10 mg/L.

(g) "Action level" is the concentration of lead or copper (in a sample of water drawn from a tap normally used for drinking after a 6-hour period of no water use) that, when exceeded, triggers actions to be taken by a water system.

(h) FHA "Short List" items

(i) FHA "Long List" items - (indications to be added after lab review)

We suggest continuing reading at

WATER TEST INTERPRETATION
  Common Water Tests for Bacteria
  FAILED WATER TESTS - WHAT TO DO
  FAILED WATER TESTS - WHEN to RE-TEST
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE
WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES
WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
CHEATING on WATER TESTS
CORRECTING BAD WATER
EPA GUIDE to WATER QUALITY
SEWAGE CONTAMINATION
WATER CONTAMINANT LEVELS
  Table of Allowable Water Contaminant Limits
WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE
WATER PUMPS & WELLS
WATER QUALITY TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT
WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE
WATER SOFTENERS
WATER TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES
  Cost of Water Tests - Lab Fees
  General Classes of Water Contaminants
  ARSENIC in WATER
  BACTERIA TEST GUIDE
  CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER
  FHA WATER TESTS REQUIRED
  General- water test parameters
  Standard VA FHA, Pesticides
  Title 5- water test parameters
  Comprehensive Water Test
  Water testing Comprehensive + Pesticides
  Individual water contaminant tests
  Herbicide Contamination
  LEAD CONTAMINATION in WATER, HOW to TEST
    LEAD in WATER, ACTION GUIDE
    LEAD POISONING SYMPTOMS
    LEAD TEST VARIATION CAUSES
  Pesticides Contamination
  TOTAL COLIFORM TESTING
  Municipal Water Test Parameters
WATER TESTING GUIDE
  WATER TESTING ADVICE
    SHOULD YOU TEST YOUR WATER?
    PUBLIC vs PRIVATE WATER
    WHEN TO TEST
    WATER TEST COSTS
    SPECIAL SITUATION TESTS
WATER TEST INTERPRETATION
  Common Water Tests for Bacteria
  FAILED WATER TESTS - WHAT TO DO
  FAILED WATER TESTS - WHEN to RE-TEST
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES

Thanks to Anne Smith at Smith Laboratory, 50 Scenic Drive, Hyde Park NY 845-229-6536 for assistance with this information.

More Information about Drinking Water Testing and Allowable Levels of Water Contaminants

• Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
• Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
• Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
• Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
• Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
• Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice (This Article)
• Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
• Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
• Water testing for Pesticides: comprehensive and pesticides-example parameters
• Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
• When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
• Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
• Typical Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
• Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
• General water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department.

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