SU0014629 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

STATE OF CALIFORNIA—HEALTH AND WELFARE AGENCY GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN, Go,rn , J DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES CHANNEL STREET, ROOM 270 ST STOCKTON, CA 95202 (209) 9d8-7697 January 29, 1985 Mr. Lee Hall, Director Environmental Health Division San Joaquin Local Health District Stockton, California 95202 TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS This letter will address your request for our specific interpretation of the application of the secondary drinking water standards in regard to total dissolved solids in the case of the Santos Ranch rural subdivision located approximately four miles south of Tracy. In this instance the subdivider (contractor) built three homes and drilled a water supply well after first drilling a test well. The total dissolved solids on the water supply well are over the upper limit of 1000 milligrams per liter (mg/1) at 1150 mg/1. All other primary and secondary standards have been complied with. No fixed consumer acceptance level has been established for mineralization; how- ever, concentrations below the recommended contaminant level are desirable and more acceptable to water consumers. Total dissolved solids ranging to 1,000 mg/l are acceptable if it is neither reasonable nor feasible to provide better quality water. Concentrations of total dissolved solids between 1000 mg/l and 1500 mg/l are judged acceptable for existing systems only on a temporary basis pending construction of treatment facilities; and, new services are not approved for water systems where mineralization falls in this range unless adequate progress is being demonstrated toward providing water of improved mineral quality. Water supplies where mineralization ranges to the short term contaminant level may be approved by the department for other compelling reasons; but, this is not generally done. In the case of the Santos Ranch rural subdivision, where mineralization exceeds the upper limit by about 15 percent, adequate progress toward providing water of approved mineral quality must be interpreted by the regulating agency - San Joaquin County in this instance. If;