Drinking Water Regulations
The Division of Drinking Water’s Regulatory Development Unit (RDU) leads California’s rulemaking for drinking water standards, including maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), and develops associated public notification materials such as Consumer Confidence Report templates. It also recommends and establishes notification and response levels for unregulated contaminants, prioritizes and oversees development and validation of new or improved drinking water analytical methods, and supports program implementation.
Regulations in Process or Planned
- Maximum Contaminant Levels
- Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
- N-nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA)
- Disinfection Byproducts
- Total Trihalomethanes
- Haloacetic Acids
- Styrene
- Cadmium and Mercury
- 1,4-Dioxane
- Arsenic
- Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
- Adoption of Federal Updates
- California Enhancements
- Detection Limits for Purposes of Reporting
- Metals
- Organic Chemicals
- Notification and Response Levels
- Manganese (revision)
- Cyanotoxins
- Perfluoroheptanoic Acid (PFHpA)
- Environmental Laboratory Accreditation -TNI Dual Certificate Framework
- Primacy Package Approvals
- Public Notification Rule
- Groundwater Rule
- Revised Total Coliform Rule
- PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
- Lead and Copper Rule and Revisions
- Consumer Confidence Report Rule
- On-site Treated Nonpotable Water Systems Revisions
- Title 22 Recycled Water Regulations Update
- Quinquennial Maximum Contaminant Levels Review
- Financial Assurance and Technical, Managerial, and Financial Standards
Other Regulations and Policy Handbooks of Interest
Upcoming Federal Rules
Other Information
- Division of Drinking Water
- Information for Public Water Systems
- Adopted Regulations
- Annual Division of Drinking Water Regulatory Priority Board Resolutions
- 2026: State Water Board Resolution No. 2026-0008
- 2025: State Water Board Resolution No. 2025-0006
- 2024: State Water Board Resolution No. 2024-0009
- 2023: State Water Board Resolution No. 2023-0007
- 2022: State Water Board Resolution No. 2022-0007
- 2021: State Water Board Resolution No. 2021-0009
- 2020: State Water Board Resolution No. 2020-0005
- 2019: State Water Board Resolution No. 2019-0009
- 2018: State Water Board Resolution No. 2018-0009
- Office of Administrative Law Rulemaking Training and Resources
Stay informed
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Contact Information
Melissa Hall, P.E.
Senior Water Resource Control Engineer
(916) 323-0373
Melissa.Hall@waterboards.ca.gov
Randy Barnard, P.E.
Supervising Water Resource Control Engineer
(619) 525-4022
Randy.Barnard@waterboards.ca.gov
