Third Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List

Oct 16: In a Federal Register announcement [71 FR 60704-60708], U.S. EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water has started the process to develop the third Contaminant Candidate List (CCL3) to help identify unregulated contaminants that may require a national drinking water regulation in the future. The CCL 3 contaminant nominations process is an opportunity to provide information on contaminants that the general public, stakeholders, agencies, and industry think should be considered for the CCL. Nominations must be received on or before December 15, 2006. The Agency will also accept nominations during the notice and comment period following EPA’s publication of the proposed CCL.

According to EPA, there are thousands of naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that have the potential to enter sources of drinking water (e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals). Some of these contaminants may pose no risk to human health, but others may cause cancer or have endocrine disrupting, reproductive, or developmental effects. Naturally occurring microbial contaminants may also cause acute illness. To ensure that public health is protected, EPA must assess the universe of unregulated drinking water contaminants to determine if they may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

The CCL is the primary vehicle used by EPA to target and prioritize unregulated contaminants in drinking water for research and analysis to determine which new contaminants should be regulated. SDWA requires that EPA publish, every five years, a list of unregulated chemical and microbial contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation under SWDA. EPA is also required to consult with the scientific community and provide notice and opportunity for public comment prior to publication of the CCL.

Access EPA's Contaminant Candidate List 3 (CCL 3) Nominations website for complete details including links to the FR announcement and the nominations website (click here). [*Drink]