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Document ID ca-gcdwqgtd-2015-04-15-6 Title Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document – Toluene, Ethylbenzene and the Xylenes URL https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-toluene-ethylbenzene-xylenes/guidelines-canadian-drinking-water-quality-guideline-technical-document-toluene-ethylbenzene-xylenes-page-8.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Water treatment Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-18 14:07:48.718757+00:00 Relevance Technical guidance on treatment technologies for VOC removal in drinking water.

25 Qualitative 9 Quantitative 24 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (25)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#Q001	design	treatment	recommended	Municipal Treatment Process Selection Considerations	drinking water	The selection of an appropriate treatment process for a specific water supply will depend on many factors, including the characteristics of the raw water supply, the concentration of the contaminant and the operational conditions of the specific treatment method. These factors should be taken into consideration to ensure that the treatment process selected is effective for the reduction of TEX in drinking water.	When selecting an appropriate municipal-scale treatment process.	high
#Q002	design	treatment	recommended	GAC Process Design Considerations	drinking water	The selection of GAC for removing VOCs from drinking water supplies should factor in the following process design considerations: carbon usage rate, empty bed contact time (EBCT), type of adsorbent, pretreatment of the raw water, contactor configuration (e.g., beds in series or parallel operation) and method of GAC regeneration or replacement.	When selecting Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) for removing VOCs.	high
#Q003	design	treatment	recommended	Consideration of Ozonation and AOP By-products	drinking water	The formation of by-products from the oxidation and/or advanced oxidation of VOCs or other inorganic compounds in the source water should be considered when using these processes.	When using Ozonation and Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs).	high
#Q004	treatment	treatment	recommended	Avoidance of Additional Residential Treatment on Municipal Water	drinking water	Generally, it is not recommended that drinking water treatment devices be used to provide additional treatment to municipally treated water.	For homes receiving municipally treated water.	high
#Q005	treatment	health	recommended	Use of Certified Residential Treatment Devices	drinking water	Health Canada does not recommend specific brands of drinking water treatment devices, but it strongly recommends that consumers use devices that have been certified by an accredited certification body as meeting the appropriate NSF International (NSF)/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) drinking water treatment unit standards.	When consumers use private residential drinking water treatment devices.	high
#Q006	monitoring	operational	recommended	Periodic Testing of Residential Treatment Devices	drinking water	Periodic testing by an accredited laboratory should be conducted on both the water entering the treatment device and the water it produces to verify that the treatment device is effective.	When using point-of-entry treatment devices or custom constructed systems.	high
#Q007	operational	operational	recommended	Verification of Component Longevity	drinking water	Consumers should verify the expected longevity of the components in their treatment device as per the manufacturer's recommendations.	When maintaining residential drinking water treatment devices.	high
#Q008	design	operational	recommended	Reverse Osmosis Installation Location	drinking water	RO systems should only be installed at the point of use as the water they have treated may be corrosive to internal plumbing components.	When installing reverse osmosis (RO) systems in residential settings.	high
#Q009	treatment	operational	guidance	Pretreatment for Reverse Osmosis Membranes	drinking water	A consumer may need to pretreat the influent water to reduce the fouling and extend the service life of the membrane.	When using residential reverse osmosis (RO) systems.	medium
#Q010	operational	operational	guidance	GAC Operational Considerations	drinking water	Operational considerations may also include the need to ensure a proper backwash, maintain the bed depth and bed density after backwashing and control the flow rate.	When using GAC adsorption contactors	high
#Q011	treatment	treatment	guidance	PTA Off-gas Treatment	drinking water	As PTA transfers VOCs from water to air, treatment of the stripping tower off-gas to reduce the contaminant concentrations prior to discharge into the atmosphere may be necessary	When using Packed Tower Aeration (PTA)	high
#Q012	treatment	operational	guidance	Post-Aeration Corrosion Control	drinking water	Post treatment, such as the use of a corrosion inhibitor, may also be required to reduce corrosive properties of the water due to increased dissolved oxygen from the aeration process.	Post-treatment for air stripping processes	high
#Q013	treatment	treatment	guidance	AOP By-product Management	drinking water	The formation of by-products may require additional treatment following AOPs and/or process optimization to minimize by-product formation.	When using Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)	high
#Q014	design	operational	mandatory	GAC Pretreatment for Clogging	drinking water	To prevent the bed from clogging, pretreatment of the water before it enters the GAC contactor is often required (Snoeyink, 1990; Speth, 1990; AWWA, 1991; Crittenden et al., 2005).	Before water enters a GAC contactor	high
#Q015	operational	operational	guidance	Multi-bed GAC Operation Allowance	drinking water	In systems with multiple beds, the individual beds can be operated beyond the time of initial breakthrough, provided the blended effluents still meet the treatment objectives.	In GAC systems with multiple beds	high
#Q016	design	treatment	guidance	Custom Residential Treatment System Construction	drinking water	Where certified point-of-entry treatment devices are not available for purchase, systems can be designed and constructed from certified materials.	Where certified point-of-entry treatment devices are not available for purchase	high
#Q017	administrative	operational	mandatory	Certification Body Accreditation	drinking water	Certification organizations provide assurance that a product conforms to applicable standards and must be accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).	For organizations certifying drinking water devices and materials in Canada	high
#Q018	operational	operational	mandatory	GAC Media Replacement	drinking water	Once the GAC is exhausted, it is removed from the contactor and replaced with fresh or regenerated GAC.	When GAC media is exhausted	high
#Q019	operational	operational	mandatory	Residential Device Maintenance	drinking water	Devices can lose their removal capacity through usage and time and need to be maintained and/or replaced.	For private residential drinking water treatment devices	high
#Q020	treatment	operational	guidance	PTA Fouling Prevention Methods	drinking water	Methods to prevent fouling of the column include pH suppression of the influent, using scale inhibitors or iron removal prior to the PTA application.	When operating Packed Tower Aeration (PTA) systems	high
#Q021	treatment	operational	guidance	Fenton's Process pH Adjustment	drinking water	it should be noted that a pH adjustment may be needed after this treatment process [Fenton's reagent].	When using AOP with Fenton's reagent	high
#Q022	design	operational	mandatory	GAC Design Data Sources	drinking water	When designing a GAC system, relevant information and operational parameters are obtained from pilot plant experiments, rapid small-scale columns test (RSSCT) and vendor experience.	During the design phase of a GAC treatment system	high
#Q023	design	health	recommended	Point-of-Entry System Preference	drinking water	Point-of-entry systems are preferred for the reduction of VOCs such as TEX, because they provide treated water for bathing and laundry as well as for cooking and drinking. This will reduce the potential for VOC exposure through inhalation.	For residential treatment of VOCs such as toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes.	high
#Q024	design	treatment	mandatory	PAC Contact Time and Mixing Requirement	drinking water	Sufficient contact time is necessary, and the time required is a function of the characteristics and the concentration of the contaminant to be adsorbed (Najm et al., 1991).	When using Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) for VOC removal at municipal treatment plants.	high
#Q025	operational	operational	recommended	Combined Technology Operational Considerations	drinking water	The common operational problems inherent to PTA systems and GAC adsorption contactors are similar and should be considered when these combined technologies are employed.	When combining Packed Tower Aeration (PTA) and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) technologies.	high

P Quantitative Requirements (9)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Limit Type	Limit Value	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#P001	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Toluene	drinking water	requirement	<= 1.0 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of toluene only.	Device must be capable of reducing an average influent concentration of 3.0 mg/L to a maximum effluent concentration of 1.0 mg/L.	high
#P002	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Toluene	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing an influent toluene concentration of 0.078 mg/L to a maximum product water concentration of 0.001 mg/L.	high
#P003	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Toluene	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing toluene from an influent concentration of 0.078 mg/L to a maximum concentration of 0.001 mg/L.	high
#P004	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Ethylbenzene	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.7 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of ethylbenzene only.	Device must be capable of reducing an average influent concentration of 2.1 mg/L to a maximum effluent concentration of 0.7 mg/L.	high
#P005	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Ethylbenzene	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing an influent ethylbenzene concentration of 0.088 mg/L to a maximum product water concentration of 0.001 mg/L.	high
#P006	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Ethylbenzene	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing ethylbenzene from an influent concentration of 0.088 mg/L to a maximum concentration of 0.001 mg/L in the treated water.	high
#P007	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Total xylenes	drinking water	requirement	<= 10.0 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of total xylenes.	Device must be capable of reducing an average influent concentration of 30.0 mg/L to a maximum effluent concentration of 10.0 mg/L.	high
#P008	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Total xylenes	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing an influent concentration of total xylenes of 0.07 mg/L to a maximum product water concentration of 0.001 mg/L.	high
#P009	chemical	treatment	mandatory	Total xylenes	drinking water	requirement	<= 0.001 mg/L	For a drinking water treatment device to be certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58 by surrogate testing.	Device must be capable of reducing total xylenes from an influent concentration of 0.07 mg/L to a maximum concentration of 0.001 mg/L.	high

D Definitions (24)

Req ID	Name	Context	Confidence
#D001	GAC	Granular activated carbon	high
#D002	PTA	packed tower aeration	high
#D003	BATs	best available technologies	high
#D004	PAC	powdered activated carbon	high
#D005	NOM	natural organic matter	high
#D006	EBCT	empty bed contact time	high
#D007	Initial breakthrough	Initial breakthrough is defined as the time when the contaminant concentration in the effluent exceeds the treatment objective.	high
#D008	RSSCT	rapid small-scale columns test	high
#D009	A:W	air-to-water ratio	high
#D010	AOPs	advanced oxidation processes	high
#D011	transferred (absorbed) ozone dose	defined as the applied ozone minus the off-gas concentration	high
#D012	BTEX	benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes	high
#D013	SFFR	submerged fixed film reactor	high
#D014	FBR	fluidized bed reactor	high
#D015	NSF	NSF International	high
#D016	ANSI	American National Standards Institute	high
#D017	SCC	Standards Council of Canada	high
#D018	RO	reverse osmosis	high
#D019	BTX	benzene, toluene and xylenes	high
#D020	Pervaporation	a process in which a liquid stream containing contaminants is placed in contact with one side of a non-porous polymeric membrane while a vacuum or gas purge is applied to the other side.	high
#D021	Bioremediation	technology uses microorganisms under fully controlled conditions to degrade the contaminants to less toxic compounds, such as carbon dioxide, methane, water and inorganic salt	high
#D022	point of use	faucet	high
#D023	point of entry	location where water enters the home	high
#D024	UV	ultraviolet	high