Drinking Water Advisory

• Drinking Water Advisory: Consumer Acceptability Advice and Health Effects Analysis on Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE)
  

EPA's Office of Water developed non-regulatory guidance on levels of MTBE contamination that would affect the taste and odor of drinking water and hence its acceptability to consumers. The document also examined the current health effects data for MTBE, discussed the limitations of the data, and offered a "Margin of Exposure (or safety)" approach to characterizing MTBE health risks. The Advisory recommended keeping levels of contamination in the range of 20-40 µg/L or below to protect consumer acceptance of the water resource, which would also provide a large margin of exposure (safety) from toxic effects.