W02: Water Contaminants

(Required)

INTENT

Provide access to drinking water that complies with health-based limits on contaminants.

SUMMARY

This WELL feature requires projects provide drinking water that meets thresholds on contaminants based on thresholds published by national and international research and regulatory groups and verifies performance using on-site tests.

ISSUE

Rivers, lakes and other sources of drinking water can accumulate pollution through natural geologic conditions or from industry and agriculture. For example, natural deposits have caused high arsenic levels above the WHO recommendations in drinking water for 140 million people in 50 countries. Pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture enter the water supply through rain runoff and in the U.S. have been detected in virtually every stream in agricultural, urban and mixed-use areas, as well as in 30-70% of groundwater. Many of the metals and organic pollutants found in water, such as vinyl chloride and mercury, arise from discharge from industrial facilities. As water travels from its source through municipal distribution systems and building pipes, it also encounters many opportunities to pick up contaminants. Water districts often add chlorine for valuable disinfection purposes. However, disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) can be created when the chlorine reacts with organic material in the water. Exposure to these through ingestion and inhalation has been linked to cancer, kidney damage and central nervous system birth defects. Finally, corrosion from municipal or building pipes is the primary source for other drinking water contaminants, such as lead, which is associated with impaired neurodevelopment in children and increased systolic blood pressure in adults.

SOLUTIONS

There are many building-scale interventions that can improve water quality. Their effectiveness depends on the contaminants being removed, so it is important for projects to understand the baseline water quality. Activated carbon filters are made from highly porous material that collects chlorine and disinfectant byproducts, many pesticides and some pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Reverse osmosis (RO) systems operate by forcing pressurized water through a microscopic mesh to remove suspended solids and some microorganisms and dissolved contaminants.

IMPACT

Identifying and controlling the contaminants in drinking water can reduce exposure (through ingestion) to harmful substances.

REQUIREMENTS

Part 1

Meet Dissolved Metal Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following thresholds:

1. Lead less than 0.01 mg/L. 

2. Arsenic less than 0.01 mg/L.   

3. Antimony less than 0.006 mg/L. 

4. Mercury less than 0.002 mg/L.

5. Nickel less than 0.07 mg/L.

6. Copper less than 1.0 mg/L.
7. Cadmium less than 0.005 mg/L.

8. Chromium (total) less than 0.1 mg/L. 

Part 2

Meet Organic Pollutant Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following thresholds:

1. Styrene less than 0.02 mg/L.  

2. Benzene less than 0.005 mg/L.

3. Ethylbenzene less than 0.3 mg/L.  

4. Vinyl chloride less than 0.002 mg/L.

5. Toluene less than 0.7 mg/L.

6. Xylenes (total: m, p and o) less than 0.5 mg/L. 

7. Tetrachloroethylene less than 0.005 mg/L.

Part 3

Meet Disinfectant Byproducts Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following thresholds:

1. Total trihalomethanes (sum of dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane, chloroform and bromoform) less than 0.08 mg/L. 

2. Total haloacetic acids (sum of chloroacetic, dichloroacetic, trichloroacetic, bromoacetic and dibromoacetic acids) less than 0.06 mg/L.

Part 4

Meet Herbicide and Pesticide Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces 

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following thresholds: 

1. Atrazine less than 0.003 mg/L.

2. Simazine less than 0.002 mg/L.

3. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid less than 0.07 mg/L.

Part 5

Meet Fertilizer Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following threshold:

1. Nitrate less than 50 mg/L (11 mg/L as nitrogen).

Part 6

Meet Public Water Additive Thresholds

Verified by Performance Test

For All Spaces

Water delivered to the project for human consumption meets the following thresholds: 

1. Fluoride less than 4 mg/L.

2. Total chlorine less than 4 mg/L.

3. Chloramine less than 4 mg/L.

Part 7

Monitor Water Contaminant Parameters

Verified by Operations Schedule, On-going Data Report

For All Spaces

On-site testing:

One of the following requirements is met:

1. The water contaminants listed in this feature are monitored at intervals of no less than once per year and results are submitted annually through WELL Online. The number and location of sampling points complies with the requirements outlined in the Performance Verification Guidebook. 

2. The levels of the water contaminants listed in this feature, as reported in a local municipal water quality report, are submitted annually through WELL Online.
3. Project achieves at least one point in Feature W05: Water Quality Consistency.

 

Note: For requirement a), projects are not required to use devices or methods that comply with the requirements described in the Performance Verification Guidebook. However, if measurements are undertaken by a WELL Performance Testing Agent in compliance with the Performance Verification Guidebook, results submitted to GBCI from each year and test location may be averaged and utilized for recertification purposes.

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