| Drinking Water Regulations |
| The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to set national drinking water regulations, which the states must enforce. Consisting of both primary and secondary standards, primary drinking water regulations ensure protection of the public health while secondary drinking water regulations relate to the taste, odor, and appearance of drinking water. Primary drinking water regulations, by definition, include either a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water or, when a MCL is not economically or technologically feasible, a prescribed treatment technique for drinking water, which would prevent adverse health effects to humans. An MCL is the permissible level of a contaminant in water that is delivered to any user of a public water system. Home Page | FAQs | Glossary | Contact Us |