Definitions for PFAS Report
Notification Level (NL) - Health-based advisory levels established by the DDW for chemicals in drinking water that lack MCLs. When chemicals are found at concentrations greater than their notification levels, certain requirements and recommendations apply.
Response Level (RL) - The level at which DDW recommends removal of a drinking water source from service.
Public Health Goal (PHG) - Concentrations of drinking water contaminants that pose no significant health risk if consumed for a lifetime, based on current risk assessment principles, practices, and methods.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – The maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur, and which allows an adequate margin of safety. MCLGs are non-enforceable health goals.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – Legally enforceable health protective drinking water standards to be met by public water systems. MCLs take into account not only chemicals' health risks but also factors such as their detectability and treatability, as well as costs of treatment. Health & Safety Code §116365(a) requires a contaminant's MCL to be established at a level as close to its PHG as is technologically and economically feasible, placing primary emphasis on the protection of public health.
Abbreviations & Acronyms
$/kgal Dollar per 1,000 gallons
ACWA Association of California Water Agencies
AWWA American Water Works Association
CA California
DBCP Dibromochloropropane
DDW Division of Drinking Water a division of the SWRCB EPA Environmental Protection Agency - Federal regulatory agency GAC Granular activated carbon
Gen X Trade name for a processing aid technology used to make high- performance fluoropolymers GPM Gallons per minute
HFPO-DA Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid
HI Hazard index
IX Ion exchange
JWN John W. North
MCL Maximum contaminant level
NL Notification level
NPDWR National primary drinking water regulation
NPV Net present value (estimated in 2022)
O&M Operation & Maintenance
PFAS Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances
PFBS Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid
PFHxS Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid
PFNA Perfluorononanoic acid
PFOA Perfluorooctanoic acid
PFOS Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
PPB Parts per billion
PPT Parts per trillion
PV Present value (estimated in 2022)
RFP Request for proposals
RL Response level
RPU Riverside Public Utilities
SWRCB Sate Water Resources Control Board - State regulatory agency TCE Trichloroethene
TM Transmission main
WTP Water treatment plant