Groundwater Quality Standards for the protection of groundwaters of the state are established by 15A NCAC 02L .0202. They are the maximum allowable concentrations resulting from any discharge of contaminants to the land or waters of the state, which may be tolerated without creating a threat to human health or which would otherwise render the groundwater unsuitable for its intended best usage as an existing or potential source of drinking water supply for humans. Every three years the State is required by 15A NCAC 02L .0202(g) to review its groundwater water quality standards and interim maximum allowable concentrations to determine if changes are needed and, if necessary, to make those changes. Revision of these standards is needed to ensure that they contain the most recent health and toxicological information. The last review focused on the interim maximum allowable concentrations established under 15A NCAC 02L .0202(c).

Proposed changes to 15A NCAC 02L .0202 include:

• the adoption of a groundwater quality standard for 44 substances with established interim maximum allowable concentrations, some with revisions,
•             the addition of a groundwater quality standard for three substances (2,6-    dinitrotoluene, strontium, and total PFOA and PFOS) without established interim    maximum allowable concentrations,
•             the organization of the groundwater standards into a table,
•             the addition of Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (CASRNs) for the groundwater standards,
•             the removal of synonyms,
•             a change in some units of measure to parts per billion (µg/L), when appropriate,
•             the addition of rule text to add a notification process for the establishment of an interim maximum allowable concentration, and
•             the addition of rule text to clarify the triennial review process.

Public Hearing:
Date: February 2, 2021
Time: 6:00 pm

Location: In the abundance of caution, and to address protective measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the NC Division of Water Resources is holding an online public hearing that can be joined starting at 5:45 pm via WebEx link: https://ncdenrits.webex.com/ncdenrits/onstage/g.php?MTID=e5c544ae3124c6ca32f29b6ac45afb8ac,

WebEx password: jPeFQgQ3n85
WebEx phone number: 1-415-655-0003
WebEx access code: 178 659 9930

To register for the hearing and provide your preference regarding speaking at the hearing, please visit: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3IF2etC5mkSFw-zCbNftGRcM2xmuszROiks3JDQp2_RUNlJKWjlIRjlWWkhIVTRLMDFGM1gzSDRYMy4u

Registration must be completed by 12:00 pm on February 2, 2021. If you have any problems registering online, please call 919-707-9011 by the registration deadline of 12:00 pm on February 2, 2021.

Comments may be submitted to: Bridget Shelton, NC DEQ-DWR Planning Section, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611; email GWTriRevComments@ncdenr.gov
Comment period ends: March 16, 2021

More information can be found at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-planning/classification-standards/groundwater-standards