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	Answer ID   1319   Last Updated   10/19/2009 04:13 PM    Print Answer    Email Answer     How is a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) different from a maximum contaminant level (MCL)?   Question   How is a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) different from a maximum contaminant level (MCL)?   Answer   According to Drinking Water Standard Setting: Question and Answer Primer (EPA811-K-94-001, November 1994), "An MCLG is a non-enforceable goal derived solely from health effects data.  An MCL is the enforceable level set as closely as possible to the MCLG, taking technology and cost data into account."      Users who viewed this answer have also viewed   •  What is the difference between an "organic" and an "inorganic" contaminant? •  Is there a difference between E.Coli and fecal coliforms? •  What is a drinking water standard? •  Why was sodium included on the Contaminant Candidate List 1 (CCL 1)? •  What is the conversion factor for mg/L of hardness to grains per gallon of hardness?   Back to Previous Document

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