ABSTRACT

Total coliform bacteria regulations apply to all 200,000 public groundwater and surface water systems, both community and noncommunity supplies. While treatment may be adequate at the drinking water source, conditions may exist in the distribution system that permit regrowth of microbial, bacterial, and viral contaminants. Human exposure to asbestos in drinking water occurs primarily via ingestion, but exposure via inhalation can occur as a result of the use of humidifiers and, possibly, showers. Ethylene dibromide (EDB) has been detected in drinking water in several states, including California, South Carolina, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Florida, at parts-per-billion levels. Health effects associated with short exposures to EDB have included lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and central nervous system toxicity. Epichlorohydrin, another organic chemical, not a pesticide, produces a wide range of health effects in the form of acute toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity. Inorganic chemicals are mostly naturally occurring contaminants prevalent in natural geological formations.