Monitoring data from 113 large water systems in
North Carolina were analyzed to assess compliance with
the trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA)
regulatory requirements of the Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection
Byproducts Rule (D/DBPR) as well as potential
future compliance with the Stage 2 D/DBPR. Of the 452
sets of data analyzed, only eight exceeded the Stage 1
maximum contaminant level (MCL) for total THMs, and
eight exceeded the MCL for the five regulated HAAs, for
an overall noncompliance rate below 2%. More than
99.4% of the population served by these North Carolina
drinking water systems was exposed to water with DBP
concentrations below the regulatory limits.
The study provides a template for other states and
primacy agencies to examine compliance for their jurisdictions
and offers evidence that the Stage 1 MCLs are
achievable on a wide-scale basis. However, examination
of bromine incorporation patterns among the
THM and HAA species suggests that monitoring for
only HAA5 tends to underestimate overall HAA occurrence
by 20-25%, a factor that may be a key issue in
future DPB regulations. Includes 15 references, figures.