Are there standards for gasoline oxygenates in drinking water?
In New York State, MTBE has a drinking water standard of 10 mcg/L in public drinking water systems. The other oxygenates each have a public drinking water standard of 50 mcg/L. These public drinking water standards are used as guidance when evaluating oxygenate contamination in private water supplies. There are currently no federal standards for individual oxygenates for public water systems. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established an advisory level of 20 to 40 mcg/L for MTBE based on taste and odor.
