BILL NUMBER: HR 11INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ruskin MARCH 4, 2009 Relative to drinking water treated with chloramine. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, Disinfection of public water supplies has been considered by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the most significant public health accomplishments of all time; and WHEREAS, Water agencies have used chlorine or chloramine as a residual disinfectant for over 90 years; and WHEREAS, All disinfectants can react with natural organic matter to form potentially harmful disinfection byproducts; and WHEREAS, Chloramine forms lower levels of the regulated disinfection byproducts than chlorine; and WHEREAS, The California Conference of Local Health Officers has reviewed current information and evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of chloramine and concluded that chloramine adequately protects the public health by controlling exposure to waterborne organisms; and WHEREAS, Some people are extremely concerned about the use of chloramine as a drinking water disinfectant and the unregulated disinfection byproducts that the use may produce; and WHEREAS, Drinking water treated with chloramine is not known to cause significant adverse human health effects; and WHEREAS, Human health studies that focus on the symptoms that some people attribute to chloramine exposure have not been undertaken; and WHEREAS, Some disinfection byproducts of chloramine are not regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly requests the State Department of Public Health to review these public health concerns relating to the use of chloramine as a drinking water disinfectant and to conduct studies, particularly human health studies, as appropriate, to provide necessary public health information to further clarify the human health effects of chloramine; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.