Resources

Arsenic Violations 

• CDC ATSDR: Arsenic in Drinking Water – Clinical Overview 

  • Explains the EPA's 10 µg/L drinking water standard and what exposure levels are considered safe versus concerning. 

• CDC ATSDR: Who Is Most at Risk of Arsenic Overexposure? 

  • Notes that 80% of U.S. water supplies contain less than 2 ppb of arsenic, far below the federal limit of 10 ppb, and identifies which populations should take extra precautions. 

• NIH: How Reducing Arsenic Levels in Water Improves Health Outcomes 

  • Summarizes NIH research showing that public health efforts to lower arsenic in water systems have measurably reduced risks of chronic illness over time. 

 

Coliform Violations 

• U.S. EPA: The Revised Total Coliform Rule Explained 

  • The EPA explains that most total coliforms are not harmful to humans, but are used as an indicator of potential gaps in water treatment. 

• NC State University Environmental Health: Total Coliform & E. Coli in Drinking Water

  • ​An overview of how coliform bacteria are used to measure drinking water safety and treatment quality. 

• Skilling & Sons: Understanding the EPA's 2016 Total Coliform Bacteria Rule 

  • Explains the updated federal rules that require water systems to quickly investigate and fix any repeated coliform detections. 

 

Cadmium Violations 

• Water Quality Association: Cadmium Technical Fact Sheet 

  • Reviews the EPA's maximum contaminant level for cadmium and notes that chronic effects from drinking water exposure require levels far exceeding what is typically found. 

• Montana State University Extension: Cadmium in Drinking Water 

  • Explains that it would take over 50 gallons of water at 10 times the legal limit to reach a single harmful dose, putting the real risk in perspective. 

 

Cryptosporidium Violations 

• Virginia Department of Health: Cryptosporidiosis and Drinking Water 

  • Explains that a few oocysts in water do not pose a threat to healthy adults, and that multiple simultaneous system failures must occur for drinking water to become unsafe. 

• CDC MMWR: Assessing the Public Health Threat of Waterborne Cryptosporidium 

  • A CDC public health review covering how water filtration systems effectively remove Cryptosporidium and what conditions increase risk. 

• U.S. EPA: Cryptosporidium Drinking Water Health Advisory 

  • The EPA's own health advisory document detailing how well-operated filtration removes 99%+ of Cryptosporidium from drinking water. 

 

Nitrate Violations 

• NIH/PubMed: Drinking Water Nitrate and Human Health – An Updated Review 

  • A peer-reviewed scientific review covering what the research says about nitrate health risks, including which conditions and populations warrant the most attention. 

• U.S. EPA: Nitrate in Drinking Water – Occurrence and Violations Data 

  • The EPA explains the 10 mg/L maximum contaminant level for nitrate and why it is most critical to protect young children. 

• Circle of Blue: EPA Restarts Nitrate Health Risk Assessment 

  • A science focused news outlet covers the EPA's ongoing work to update the 30-year-old health standard for nitrate in drinking water. 

 

TTHM (Total Trihalomethane) Violations 

• Massachusetts DPH: Total Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water – Consumer Fact Sheet 

  • A state health department explainer on how TTHMs form during the disinfection process, what the EPA's 80 µg/L limit means, and what violations require water systems to do. 

• U.S. EPA: Why Are Disinfection Byproducts a Public Health Concern? 

  • EPA's own overview balancing the health risks of disinfection byproducts against the much greater risk of not disinfecting drinking water at all. 

 

Gross Alpha Violations 

• U.S. EPA: Radionuclides Rule in Drinking Water 

  • The EPA explains the regulatory standards for naturally occurring radioactive materials in water and what levels are considered safe. 

• Vermont Department of Health: Gross Alpha Radiation in Drinking Water 

  • Notes that there are no immediate health symptoms from gross alpha at typical water levels, and explains how the state monitors and responds to violations. 

• Kansas KDHE: Gross Alpha Radiation in Private Water Wells – Q&A 

  • A straightforward Q&A format from a state health agency covering health context, acceptable limits, and what to do if levels exceed the standard. 

 

Haloacetic Acids (HAA) Violations 

• Minnesota Department of Health: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Facts and Figures 

  • Explains that the risk of not disinfecting water outweighs the long-term, low-level risk of HAAs, and that water systems work to minimize HAA formation. 

• DC Water: Monitoring for Haloacetic Acids – Consumer FAQ 

  • A published FAQ explaining how HAAs form, what the EPA's 60 ppb standard means, and why levels below that are considered safe to drink. 

• U.S. EPA: Why Are Disinfection Byproducts a Public Health Concern? 

  • The same EPA document covering HAAs and TTHMs together, ideal if you want one link covering both disinfection byproduct categories.