Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily mean there is a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects may be obtained by calling EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or visiting their web site at www.epa.gov.
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it can pick up matter left behind by animals or people, and it dissolves minerals and sometimes radioactive material.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and the California Department of Health Services (DHS) set limits for the amount of certain contaminants in water. DHS also sets limits for contaminants in bottled water. Contaminants that exist in water sources prior to treatment may include:
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Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals that can be naturally occurring or come from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming;
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Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria that may come from septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, sewage treatment plants or wildlife;
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Radioactive contaminants which can occur naturally or be the result of oil and gas production, and mining activities;
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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, and home and business uses;
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Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and home and business uses.
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