DISCUSSION
The City of Garden Grove’s water supply continues to be in full compliance with all enforceable standards required by state and federal regulatory agencies.
PHGs established by the OEHHA and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency are based solely on public health risk considerations being set at levels where the health risks are very low, or zero. The determinations of health risks at these low levels are frequently theoretical. The apparent purpose of the PHG Report is to give water system customers access to information on levels of contaminants, even below the enforceable mandatory MCLs. PHGs and MCLGs are not enforceable.
Additionally, agencies that operate water systems are required to report any exceeded PHGs or MCLGs to their governing bodies and to hold a public hearing to accept and respond to public comment related to any exceedances. The Public Health Goal Report is only required if a PHG was exceeded on a three (3) year reporting cycle.
For the 2019 Public Health Goal Report, seven (7) contaminants: arsenic, bromate, uranium, gross alpha, gross beta, total coliform bacteria, and perchlorate are required to be reported to governing bodies and consumers because they exceed the PHGs, although none of the samples exceeded any enforceable regulatory levels.