{"id":1148,"date":"2019-05-27T23:30:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T23:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/review-of-perchlorate-occurrence-in-large-public-drinking-water-systems-in-the-united-states-of-america\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T22:51:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T05:51:35","slug":"review-of-perchlorate-occurrence-in-large-public-drinking-water-systems-in-the-united-states-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/review-of-perchlorate-occurrence-in-large-public-drinking-water-systems-in-the-united-states-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of perchlorate occurrence in large public drinking water systems in the United States of America"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"answer-box\" style=\"background:#f0f8ff;border-left:4px solid #0073aa;padding:14px 18px;margin-bottom:24px\"><strong>Quick Answer:<\/strong> Perchlorate is a chemical that can get into your drinking water. You&#8217;ll find it around military sites, places that make rocket fuel, and even naturally in dry, arid soil. It messes with how your thyroid produces hormones. In 2024, the EPA set a limit of 0.056 mg\/L (that&#8217;s 56 ppb) for perchlorate. Good news, though, reverse osmosis and ion exchange are proven ways to get rid of it.<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-record-info\">\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelBy:<\/span>Luis, SJ (Luis, Steven J.)<sup><b>[\u00a0<1\u00a0]\u00a0<\/b><\/sup>; Miesner, EA (Miesner, Elizabeth A.)<sup><b>[\u00a0<2\u00a0]\u00a0<\/b><\/sup>; Enslin, CL (Enslin, Clarissa L.)<sup><b>[\u00a0<1\u00a0]\u00a0<\/b><\/sup>; Heidecorn, K (Heidecorn, Keith)<sup><b>[\u00a0<3\u00a0]<\/b><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-record-info source\">\n<p class=\"sourceTitleWATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-WATER SUPPLY<\/p>\n<div class=\"block-record-info-source-values\">\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelVolume:<\/span> 19<\/p>\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelIssue:<\/span> 3<\/p>\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelPages:<\/span>\u00a0681-694<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelDOI:<\/span>\u00a010.2166\/ws.2018.135<\/p>\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelPublished:<\/span>\u00a0MAY 2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"FR_field\"><span class=\"FR_labelDocument Type:<\/span>Review<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-record-info\">\n<div class=\"Abstract<\/div>\n<p class=\"FR_fieldWhen regulators decide if a chemical needs controls, they often look at how much the public might be exposed to it, especially in food and drinking water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) did this for perchlorate. They sampled public water systems, called PWSs, as part of the first Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 1) between 2001 and 2005. This paper aims to see if that UCMR 1 data is still relevant today. To do that, we searched publicly available information to get updated perchlorate numbers for most of the large PWSs that had perchlorate detections under UCMR 1. Comparing the new data with the old UCMR 1 data shows that the UCMR 1 set isn't representative anymore. Why? Because the amount and spread of perchlorate have actually gone down since UCMR 1 was put in place. This tells us that if regulatory bodies are making decisions over several years, they should probably check back in on the original issues that started the whole effort. That way, rules and regulations really address the problems we're facing right now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cel.webofknowledge.com\/InboundService.do?customersID=Alerting&amp;smartRedirect=yes&amp;mode=FullRecord&amp;IsProductCode=Yes&amp;product=CEL&amp;Init=Yes&amp;Func=Frame&amp;action=retrieve&amp;SrcApp=Alerting&amp;SrcAuth=Alerting&amp;SID=5DL5AZpsa38YxSkVeyc&amp;UT=WOS%3A000462923600002\" target=\"_blank\" &quot;noopener \/a rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/thefactsaboutwater.org\/review-of-perchlorate-occurrence-in-large-public-drinking-water-systems-in-the-united-states-of-america\/\" &quot;Review of perchlorate occurrence in large public drinking water systems the United States \/a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/thefactsaboutwater.org\" &quot;Facts About \/a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">.<\/p>\n<p>Source: Water Feed<\/p>\n<h2>Related Articles<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/a-national-survey-of-lead-and-other-metalloids-in-residential-drinking-water-in-the-united-states\/\">A national survey of lead and other metal(loids) in residential drinking water in the United States<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/drinking-water-nitrate-and-cancer-risk-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis\/\">Drinking-water nitrate and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/epidemics-caused-by-contamination-of-drinking-water-supplied-by-public-water-supply-systems-in-terms-of-current-legislation\/\">Epidemics caused by contamination of drinking water supplied by public water supply systems in terms of current legislation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/non-tuberculous-mycobacteria-in-drinking-water-systems-a-review-of-prevalence-data-and-control-means\/\">Non-tuberculous mycobacteria in drinking water systems: A review of prevalence data and control means<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>What is perchlorate and what are its primary sources in drinking water?<\/strong><br \/>Perchlorate is a chemical contaminant primarily found in drinking water originating from military sites, rocket fuel manufacturing, and naturally occurring in soil from arid regions. It is known to interfere with thyroid hormone production, posing a health concern. The EPA has established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.056 mg\/L (56 ppb) for perchlorate as of 2024.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the current EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for perchlorate in drinking water?<\/strong><br \/>As of 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.056 mg\/L, or 56 parts per billion (ppb), for perchlorate in public drinking water systems. This regulation aims to protect public health from the adverse effects of perchlorate exposure, particularly its impact on thyroid function.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the effective methods for removing perchlorate from water?<\/strong><br \/>Proven technologies for effective perchlorate removal from drinking water include reverse osmosis (RO) and ion exchange systems. AMPAC USA designs and manufactures commercial and industrial-grade RO and ion exchange systems capable of reducing perchlorate levels to meet regulatory standards. Our engineers leverage direct field experience from installations worldwide to implement these solutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Has the occurrence of perchlorate in US public water systems changed over time?<\/strong><br \/>Yes, studies indicate that the extent and degree of perchlorate occurrence in large US public water systems have decreased since the initial Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 1) data collection between 2001 and 2005. This finding suggests that the UCMR 1 dataset is no longer fully representative, prompting regulatory bodies to periodically re-evaluate conditions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why is perchlorate a concern in drinking water?<\/strong><br \/>Perchlorate is a concern in drinking water because it interferes with the human body&#8217;s thyroid hormone production, which is vital for metabolism, growth, and development. Exposure, particularly in vulnerable populations, can lead to health issues related to thyroid dysfunction. The EPA&#8217;s 2024 maximum contaminant level of 0.056 mg\/L reflects this recognized health risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When deciding whether or not to regulate a chemical, regulatory bodies often evaluate the degree to which the public may be exposed by evaluating the chemical\u2019s occurrence in food and drinking water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,29],"tags":[22],"class_list":["post-1148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-water-filter","category-water-treatment","tag-ro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}