Chemical Information: MCLs, DLRs, and PHGs

Last Update: May 22, 2009

There are about 80 regulated drinking water contaminants.  Each regulated contaminant has 

• a maximum contaminant level (MCL), also referred to as a drinking water standard,
• a detection limit for purposes of reporting (DLR), the level at which CDPH is confident about quantification being reported by analytical laboratories, and
• a public health goal (PHG), an evaluation of the contaminant's risks associated with its presence in drinking water.  PHGs are established by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).