Notes
Maximum Acceptable Values for Determinands in the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 200524
Table 2.1: Maximum acceptable values (MAV) for microbial determinands
Micro-organism | MAV1 |
---|---|
Escherichia coli (E. coli)2 | Less than 1 in 100 mL of sample |
viruses | No value has been set due to lack of reliable evidence |
total pathogenic protozoa | Less than 1 (oo)cyst per 100 L of sample |
1 These are maximum acceptable values (MAVs) for regulatory purposes. They do not represent a dose/response relationship that can be used as the basis for determining acceptable concentrations of pathogens in drinking-water.
2 Indicator organism.
Table 2.2: Maximum acceptable values (MAVs) in mg/L for inorganic determinands of health significance
Name | MAV | Remarks |
---|---|---|
antimony | 0.02 | |
arsenic | 0.01 | For excess lifetime skin cancer risk of 6 x 10-4. PMAV used because of analytical difficulties |
barium | 0.7 | |
beryllium1 | 0.004 | PMAV |
boron2 | 1.4 | |
bromate | 0.01 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 7 x 10-5. PMAV |
cadmium | 0.004 | |
chlorate | 0.8 | PMAV. Disinfection must never be compromised. DBP (chlorine dioxide) |
chlorine | 5 | Free available chlorine expressed in mg/L as Cl2. ATO. Disinfection must never be compromised |
chlorite | 0.8 | Expressed in mg/L as ClO2. PMAV. Disinfection must never be compromised. DBP (chlorine dioxide) |
chromium | 0.05 | PMAV. Total. Limited information on health effects |
copper | 2 | ATO |
cyanide | 0.08 | Total cyanides |
cyanogen chloride | 0.08 | Expressed in mg/L as CN. Total. DBP (chloramination) |
fluoride3 | 1.5 | |
lead | 0.01 | |
lithium1 | 1 | PMAV |
manganese | 0.4 | ATO |
mercury | 0.002 | Total |
molybdenum | 0.07 | |
monochloramine | 3 | DBP (chlorination) |
nickel | 0.02 | PMAV |
nitrate, short term4 | 50 | Expressed in mg/L as NO3. The sum of the ratio of the concentrations of nitrate and nitrite to each of their respective MAVs should not exceed one |
nitrite, long term | 0.2 | Expressed in mg/L as NO2. PMAV (long term) |
nitrite, short term1,4 | 3 | Expressed in mg/L as NO2. The sum of the ratio of the concentrations of nitrate and nitrite to each of their respective MAVs should not exceed one |
selenium | 0.01 | |
silver | 0.1 | PMAV |
uranium | 0.02 | PMAV |
Notes: Where WHO Guideline values are based on 60 kg bodyweight, the DWSNZ uses 70 kg bodyweight. See the datasheets for calculations (WHO 2004).
1 MAV retained despite no WHO guideline value.
2 WHO guideline PMAV is 0.5 mg/L.
3 For oral health reasons the Ministry of Health recommends that the fluoride content for drinking-water in New Zealand be in the range of 0.7–1.0 mg/L. This is not an MAV.
4 Now short term only. The short-term exposure MAVs for nitrate and nitrite have been established to protect against methaemoglobinaemia in bottle-fed infants.
Table 2.3: Maximum acceptable values (MAVs) in mg/L for organic determinands of health significance (including cyanotoxins and pesticides)
Name | MAV | Remarks |
---|---|---|
acrylamide | 0.0005 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
alachlor | 0.02 | Pesticide. For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
aldicarb | 0.01 | Pesticide |
aldrin + dieldrin | 0.00004 | Pesticide. The sum of, not each |
anatoxin-a | 0.006 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV |
anatoxin-a(s) | 0.001 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV |
atrazine | 0.002 | Pesticide. Cumulative for atrazine and congeners DEA, DIA, and DACT |
azinphos methyl | 0.004 | Pesticide. PMAV |
bentazone | 0.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
benzene | 0.01 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
benzopyrene | 0.0007 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
bromacil | 0.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
bromodichloromethane | 0.06 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5. THM |
bromoform | 0.1 | THM |
carbofuran | 0.008 | Pesticide |
carbon tetrachloride | 0.005 | |
chlordane | 0.0002 | Pesticide |
chloroform | 0.2 | THM |
chlorotoluron | 0.04 | Pesticide |
chlorpyriphos | 0.04 | Pesticide |
cyanazine | 0.0007 | Pesticide |
cylindrospermopsin | 0.001 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV |
2,4-D | 0.04 | Pesticide |
2,4-DB | 0.1 | Pesticide |
DDT + isomers | 0.001 | Pesticide. Sum of all isomers |
di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate | 0.1 | PMAV |
di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate | 0.009 | |
diazinon | 0.01 | Pesticide. PMAV |
1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane | 0.001 | Pesticide. For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
dibromoacetonitrile | 0.08 | DBP (chlorination) |
dibromochloromethane | 0.15 | THM |
1,2-dibromoethane | 0.0004 | PMAV. For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
dichloroacetic acid | 0.05 | PMAV. DBP (chlorination) |
dichloroacetonitrile | 0.02 | PMAV. DBP (chlorination) |
1,2-dichlorobenzene | 1.5 | ATO |
1,4-dichlorobenzene | 0.4 | ATO |
1,2-dichloroethane | 0.03 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
1,1-dichloroethene | 0.03 | |
1,2-dichloroethene | 0.06 | Total of cis and trans isomers |
dichloromethane | 0.02 | |
1,2-dichloropropane | 0.05 | Pesticide. PMAV. |
1,3-dichloropropene | 0.02 | Pesticide. Total of cis and trans isomers. For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
dichlorprop | 0.1 | Pesticide |
dimethoate | 0.008 | Pesticide |
diquat | 0.01 | Pesticide. PMAV |
diuron | 0.02 | Pesticide. PMAV |
EDTA (editic acid) | 0.7 | |
endosulfan | 0.02 | PMAV |
endrin | 0.001 | Pesticide |
epichlorohydrin | 0.0005 | PMAV |
ethylbenzene | 0.3 | ATO |
fenoprop | 0.01 | Pesticide |
fluoranthene | 0.004 | PMAV |
formaldehyde | 1 | DBP |
heptachlor and its epoxide | 0.00004 | Pesticide. PMAV. Mainly occurs as the epoxide |
hexachlorobenzene | 0.0001 | Pesticide. PMAV |
hexachlorobutadiene | 0.0007 | |
hexazinone | 0.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
homoanatoxin-a | 0.002 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV |
isoproturon | 0.01 | Pesticide |
lindane | 0.002 | Pesticide |
malathion | 1 | Pesticide. PMAV |
MCPA | 0.002 | Pesticide |
MCPB1 | 0.03 | Pesticide. PMAV |
mecoprop | 0.01 | Pesticide |
metalaxyl | 0.1 | Pesticide. PMAV |
methoxychlor | 0.02 | Pesticide |
methyl parathion | 0.01 | Pesticide. PMAV |
metolachlor | 0.01 | Pesticide |
metribuzin | 0.07 | Pesticide. PMAV |
microcystins | 0.001 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV (Expressed as MC-LR toxicity equivalents) |
molinate | 0.007 | Pesticide |
monochloroacetic acid | 0.02 | DBP (chlorination) |
monochlorobenzene | 0.3 | PMAV. ATO |
nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) | 0.2 | |
nodularin | 0.001 | Cyanotoxin. PMAV |
oryzalin | 0.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
oxadiazon | 0.2 | Pesticide. PMAV |
pendimethalin | 0.02 | Pesticide |
pentachlorophenol | 0.009 | Pesticide. PMAV |
permethrin | 0.02 | Pesticide. PMAV |
phenylphenol | 1.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
picloram | 0.2 | Pesticide. PMAV |
pirimiphos methyl | 0.1 | Pesticide. PMAV |
primisulfuron methyl | 0.9 | Pesticide. PMAV |
procymidone | 0.7 | Pesticide. PMAV |
propanil | 0.02 | Pesticide. PMAV. Some degradation products may be toxic |
propazine | 0.07 | Pesticide. PMAV |
pyridate | 0.1 | Pesticide. PMAV |
pyriproxifen | 0.4 | Pesticide |
saxitoxins | 0.003 | Cyanotoxin. Expressed as STX equivalent. PMAV |
simazine | 0.002 | Pesticide |
styrene | 0.03 | ATO |
2,4,5-t | 0.01 | Pesticide |
terbacil1 | 0.04 | PMAV |
terbuthylazine | 0.008 | Pesticide |
tetrachloroethene | 0.05 | |
thiabendazole | 0.4 | Pesticide. PMAV |
toluene | 0.8 | ATO |
tributyltin oxide | 0.002 | PMAV |
trichloroacetaldehyde | 0.01 | PMAV |
trichloroacetic acid | 0.2 | DBP (chlorination) |
trichlorobenzenes | 0.03 | PMAV. Total concentration of all isomers. ATO |
1,1,1-trichloroethane | 2 | PMAV |
trichloroethene | 0.08 | PMAV |
2,4,6-trichlorophenol | 0.2 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5. ATO |
triclopyr | 0.1 | Pesticide. PMAV |
trifluralin | 0.03 | Pesticide. Technical grade may contain carcinogens |
trihalomethanes (THMs) | The sum of the ratio of the concentration of each THM to its respective MAV should not exceed oneThe individual members of this group are indicated in the table as THM | |
vinyl chloride | 0.0003 | For excess lifetime cancer risk of 10-5 |
xylenes (total)1 | 0.6 | ATO |
1080 | 0.0035 | Pesticide. PMAV |
Notes:
-
DBP indicates a disinfection by-product. Any difficulty in meeting a MAV must never be a reason to compromise adequate disinfection. Trihalomethanes are DBPs. Some DBPs may also have other sources.
-
Where WHO Guideline values are based on 60 kg bodyweight, the DWSNZ uses 70 kg bodyweight. See datasheets for calculations (WHO 2004).
1 Institute of Environmental Science and Research report Gallagher LM and Fowles JF 22.03.05.
Table 2.4: Maximum acceptable values (MAVs) in Bq/L for radiological determinands
Radioactive constituents | MAV | Unit |
---|---|---|
total alpha activity | 0.10 | Bq/L excluding radon |
total beta activity | 0.50 | Bq/L excluding potassium-40 |
Radon | 100 | Bq/L |
Abbreviations used in Appendix 6 tables
PMAV
Provisional MAV (because it is provisional in the WHO Guidelines (WHO 2004) or WHO has no guideline value but the DWSNZ has retained a MAV or developed its own).
ATO
Concentrations of the substance at or below the health-based guideline value that may affect the water’s appearance, taste or odour.
DBP
Disinfection by-product. Any difficulty meeting a DBP MAV must never be a reason to compromise adequate disinfection. Trihalomethanes and haloacids are DBPs. Some DBPs may also have other sources.
THM
Trihalomethane, of which there are four: bromoform, bromodichloromethane, chloroform and dibromochloromethane.
24 The information in Appendix 6 is directly quoted from pages 8–13 of the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005.
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Appendix 6: Maximum Acceptable Values for Determinands in the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005
May 2009
© Ministry for the Environment