City of Davis

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has set a Public Health Goal (PHG) for hexavalent chromium (chrom 6) at 0.02 parts per billion (ppb). You can find the details of this report on the following web site: http://oehha.ca.gov/water/phg/pdf/Cr6PHG072911.pdf. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has two years to set a maximum contaminant level (MCL).
 
Here’s a quote from the OEHHA document:
 
“Whereas PHGs are to be based solely on scientific and public health considerations, drinking water standards adopted by DPH are to consider economic factors and technical feasibility. Each primary drinking water standard adopted by DPH shall be set at a level that is as close as feasible to the corresponding PHG, with emphasis on the protection of public health. MCLs established by DPH must be at least as stringent as the federal MCL, if one exists”.
 
The City is looking at developing a pilot study to test removal of hexavalent chromium from the groundwater. We are also identifying adequate space required to add treatment at each well once the California Department of Public Health implements a MCL.
 
The concentration of hexavalent chromium in our groundwater ranges from <2.0 ppb to 40 ppb, and has not been detected in the City’s proposed surface water supply.