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SEP - 8 1998
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Council Meeting September 8, 1998
Santa MOnica, California
TO Mayor and City CounCil
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT Recommendation to Hear Public Comment and Approve Report on Water
Quality Relative to Public Health Goals
INTRODUCTION
This Item transmits a report on water qualIty and describes the City's compliance with a
new state regulation reqUiring analysIs of the local water supply compared to state and
federal goals for drinkIng water quality The report recommends that the City CounCil take
public comment and approve the report as required by the State legislation
BACKGROUND
SB 1307 (Calderon-Sher, 1997 legislative session) added new provIsions to the California
Health and Safety Code which mandate that a Public Health Goals Report be prepared by
July 1, 1998 by public water system proViders with more than 10,000 service connections
The public hearing to review the report can be part of a regular meeting of the utility's
governing body The purpose of the legislative requirement IS to give water system
customers access to Information on levels of contaminants, even those that are below the
enforceable mandatory primary and secondary MaXimum Contaminant Levels (MCLs)
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Public Health Goals (PHGs) are set by the California Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) whIch IS part of Cal-EPA and are based solely on public
health nsk considerations None of the risk-management factors (analytical detection
capability, treatment technology available, benefits and costs) that are considered by the
USEPA or the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) In setting dnnklng water
standards are conSidered In setting the PHGs Maximum ContamInant Level Goals
(MCLGs) are the federal equivalent of the state-promulgated PHGs
Primary and secondary dnnklng water standards are set by USEPA and CDHS,
respectively These are enforceable standards, and Santa MOnica's dnnklng water supply
complies with all health-based (primary standards) and aesthetIc-based (secondary
standards) established by these agencies Santa MOnica's compliance wIth primary and
secondary standards IS summanzed In the annual water quality report prOVided to all city
water customers
The new law requires that for any water quality component detected In the dnnklng water
supply at a level exceeding an applicable PublIC Health Goal, or the MCLG set by the US-
EPA, the report must prOVide Informabon on the Public Health Goal (PHG) or Maximum
Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG), as well as the MCL, the numerical public health risk
associated with these numbers (If that data IS available), the category of risk to public
health associated with each component, the Best Available Technology that could be used
to reduce the level, and an estimate of the cost to Install that technology If It IS appropnate
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and feasIble This report IS required every three years There IS no requirement to
conduct exhaustIve studies or englneenng reports, nor to send copies of the report to all
customers, nor to develop plans to Install treatment or change operations
DISCUSSION
The attached document entitled "City of Santa Monica Report on Water Quality Relative
to Public Health Goals" has been prepared pursuant to S8 1307 The report compares the
quality of the City's groundwater supply with Public Health Goals (PHG) adopted by the
California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and with
the maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) adopted by the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) PHGs and MCLGs are not enforceable standards and no action
to meet them IS mandated
The water quality of the City of Santa MonIca's water system compiles with all of the
health-based dnnklng water standards established by the California Department of Health
Services and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Contaminants In the
city's water supply are below the applicable maximum contaminant levels reqUIred by
these regulatory agencies
The water In Santa Monica's groundwater supply also meets most publiC health goals
Coliform, TCE (tnchloroethylene), and copper exceed the public health goals The attached
report addresses the requirements of the new law With respect to these constituents
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Although efforts are continuing regarding the city's efforts to remedlate the MtBE-
contamInated groundwater supply, the attached report does not address MtSE As of the
date of preparation of the report, MtBE remains an unregulated contaminant (no primary
or secondary MCL has been established) Additionally, neither California's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment nor the EPA have adopted goals for MtSE If
applicable, MtBE will be addressed In the next report due July 1, 2001
Copies of the report will be available for public review at the City Clerk's office, the Utilities
Adm Inlstratlon office, and the Main Library
FISCAUBUDGET IMPACT
The recommendation presented In thiS report has no fiscal/budgetary Impact
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council receive public comments, and approve the attached report
entitled "City of Santa MOnica Report on Water Quality Relative to Public Health Goals"
Prepared by Craig Perkins, Director of Environmental and Public Works Management
GII Borboa, Utilities Manager
MIriam Cardenas, Principal Water Chemist
Att City of Santa MonIca Report on Water Quality Relative to Public Health Goals
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