WATER RESOURCES OF ORANGE COUNTY 29
DOMESTIC USE
Water used for human consumption should be pathologically safe, low in turbidity and color, and free from taste and odor. Federal drinking water standards were first established in 1914 to control the quality of water used on interstate carriers and for culinary purposes. These standards have been revised several times, most recently in 1962 by the U. S. Public Health Service. They have been endorsed by the American Water Works Association as minimum standards for all public water supplies.
Some of the U. S. Public Health Service's recommended limits for the various dissolved constituents and physical properties are given under the column of effects in table 4. Following are additional U. S. Public Health Service's recommended limits for dissolved chemical substances in drinking water.
Substance Concentration (ppm)
Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (ABS) 0.5
Arsenic (As) 0.01
Copper (Cu) 1
Carbon Chloroform Extract (CCE) 0.2
Cyanide (Cn) 0.01
Fluoride (F) See table 5
Manganese (Mn) 0.05
Phenols (CoHOH) 0.001
Zinc (Zn) 5
The U. S. Public Health Service states that the presence of the following toxic substances, in excess of concentrations listed shall constitute grounds for rejection of the supply for drinking vater:
Substance Concentration (ppm)
Arsenic (As) 0.05 Barium (Ba) 1.0 Cadmium (Cd) 0.01 Chromium (Hexavalent) (Cr+G) 0.05 Cyanide (CN) 0.2
Lead (Pb) 0.05 Selenium (Se) 0.01 Silver (Ag) .05