What’s in my drinking water?
Your tap water may contain different types of chemicals (organic and inorganic), microscopic organisms (e.g., bacteria, algae, viruses) and radioactive materials (radionuclides), many of which are naturally occurring. Health agencies require monitoring for these constituents or substances, because at certain levels they could make a person sick. The column marked “Constituents” lists the substances found in the water Santa Ana delivers.
What are the maximum allowed levels for constituents in drinking water?
Health agencies have maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for constituents so that drinking water is safe and looks, tastes and smells good. A few constituents have the letters “TT” (Treatment Technique) in the MCL column because they do not have a numerical MCL. Instead, they have certain treatment requirements that have to be met. One of the constituents, total chlorine residual, has an MRDL (maximum residual disinfection level) instead of an MCL.
The MRDL is the maximum level of a disinfectant added for water treatment that is allowed in water. While disinfectants are necessary to kill harmful microbes, drinking water regulations protect against too much disinfectant being added. Another constituent, turbidity, has a requirement that 95 percent of the measurements taken must be below a certain number. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the efficiency of the filtration system.
Why are some of the constituents listed in the section labeled “Primary Standards” and others in the “Secondary Standards”?
Constituents that are grouped in the “Primary Standards” section may be unhealthy at certain levels. Constituents that are grouped under the “Secondary Standards” section can affect the appearance, taste and smell of water, but do not affect the safety of the water unless they also have a primary standard. Some constituents (e.g., aluminum) have two different MCLs, one for health-related impacts, and another for non-health-related impacts.
How do I know how much of a constituent is in my water and if it is at a safe level?
With a few exceptions, if the average amount of a constituent found in tap water over the course of a year is no greater than the MCL, then the regulatory requirements are considered to be satisfied. The highest and lowest levels measured over a year are shown in the range. Requirements for safety, appearance, taste and smell are based on the average levels recorded and not the range.
How do constituents get into our water supply?
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities
Safeguarding Our Groundwater Is Everyone’s Responsibility.
- Here’s what you can do to help protect Santa Ana’s drinking water source:
- Limit your use of fertilizers and pesticides. The hazardous chemicals in both can reach our drinking water source.
- Pick up after your pets.
- Dispose of chemicals properly; take used motor oil and paint to a recycling center.
- Find a watershed protection organization, like the Santa Ana Watershed Association, and volunteer to help.
Are there any potential sources of contamination in our system?
Groundwater—An assessment of the drinking water wells for the City of Santa Ana was completed in December 2018. Santa Ana’s wells are considered most vulnerable to historic agricultural activities, golf courses, and application of fertilizers, which are associated with contaminants detected in the water supply. Our wells are also considered most vulnerable to chemical/ petroleum pipelines, chemical/ petroleum processing/ stores, dry cleaners, gas stations, junk/ scrap/salvage yards, metal plating/finishing/ fabrication, plastics/synthetics producers, and sewer collection systems, although constituents associated with these activities were not detected.
Imported Water—Every five years, MWD is required by the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) to examine possible sources of drinking water contamination in its State Water Project and Colorado River source waters. MWD submitted to DDW its most recent Watershed Sanitary Surveys: the Colorado River Watershed Sanitary Survey-2015 Update and the State Water Project Watershed Sanitary Survey-2016 Update. You can request a copy of the most recent Watershed Sanitary Surveys by calling Metropolitan at 213-217-6000.