What is the maximum contaminant level (MCL)?
The MCL is a standard established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It represents an acceptable level of a chemical under specified conditions that ensures the safety of a public drinking water supply. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has established safe drinking water standards as well. If there are differences between federal and state levels for a given chemical, the more stringent (lesser) value is applied. The EPA or MassDEP may establish guidelines in cases where no MCL values have been set. Please refer to the Chemical MCL Table included with your results for a complete list of chemicals and their respective MCL. Those values, which are guidelines only, are indicated by footnotes.
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