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NATIONAL SUMMARY

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Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Chloroform is a disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with Chloroform include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, developmental toxicity, endocrine toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and respiratory toxicity. [read more]

Sources of Chloroform:

Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Chloroform tests reported by 26,930 public water suppliers in 41 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 154 million people in 11,380 communities drank water contaminated with Chloroform. In 4,134 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

154,159,612 People drinking water contaminated with Chloroform 11,380 Communities served water contaminated with Chloroform 78,454,760 People drinking water contaminated with Chloroform over health based limits 4,134 Communities served water with Chloroform above health based limits

Table. Chloroform Exposure by State

78.5 million Americans in 38 states were served tap water contaminated with Chloroform at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Chloroform contamination		Water suppliers reporting Chloroform above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Florida	446	13,990,201	263	8,618,650
Illinois	935	10,021,447	641	8,501,183
Ohio	602	9,500,931	305	6,488,417
California	603	24,427,833	148	5,597,510
North Carolina	802	5,563,008	258	4,704,554
New Jersey	312	6,967,337	64	4,521,227
Virginia	269	3,946,894	125	3,696,322
Colorado	362	3,951,942	130	3,340,221
Washington	402	4,244,300	170	3,308,682
Texas	1,801	16,756,094	387	3,024,193
Tennessee	239	4,344,869	142	2,930,331
Michigan	361	3,141,342	100	2,280,348
Arkansas	434	2,905,611	153	2,160,107
Alabama	223	3,590,504	61	1,887,103
Oklahoma	290	2,565,248	178	1,808,012
South Carolina	187	2,209,273	58	1,764,436
Indiana	331	3,737,944	66	1,666,490
Minnesota	427	3,578,043	72	1,640,976
Nevada	68	1,979,970	16	1,639,949
Missouri	304	1,969,359	147	1,415,840
Utah	112	2,877,903	12	866,602
Iowa	121	1,352,327	44	831,392
New York	196	1,027,754	137	819,490
Wisconsin	185	2,620,978	29	783,523
Pennsylvania	108	2,141,688	31	678,609
Nebraska	138	1,077,161	23	562,625
Delaware	53	583,255	18	527,283
New Hampshire	163	613,589	43	450,035
Arizona	108	3,674,615	25	394,341
Maine	87	473,051	50	312,992
Montana	97	461,458	37	294,282
North Dakota	28	347,835	22	267,311
New Mexico	113	1,072,811	18	188,866
Alaska	198	394,233	101	178,153
Wyoming	26	198,131	24	172,682
South Dakota	51	143,666	13	69,350
Idaho	83	530,136	22	45,673
Massachusetts	104	4,524,204	1	17,000
Oregon	1	456,000	0	0
Rhode Island	10	196,667	0	0
Total	11,380	154,159,612	4,134	78,454,760

Table. The most polluted communities

78.5 million Americans in 4,134 communities were served tap water contaminated with Chloroform above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Chloroform level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Cobblestone Cove Peru, NY	75	1 of 1	1000 ppb (1000 to 1000 ppb)
2	Sandy Acres Mobile Home Park Plattsburgh, NY	33	1 of 1	1000 ppb (1000 to 1000 ppb)
3	Darby Field Commons Lee, NH	70	1 of 1	940 ppb (940 to 940 ppb)
4	Abenaki Mobile Home Court Plattsburgh, NY	309	1 of 1	900 ppb (900 to 900 ppb)
5	Adirondack Residential Ctr. Schyler Falls, NY	80	1 of 1	900 ppb (900 to 900 ppb)
6	Boonville Village Boonville, NY	3,000	1 of 1	700 ppb (700 to 700 ppb)
7	Southpark Iowa Falls, IA	26	1 of 2	650 ppb (0 to 1300 ppb)
8	Weleetka Weleetka, OK	1,014	1 of 1	540 ppb (540 to 540 ppb)
9	Black Brook Water Department No2 Ausable Forks, NY	77	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)
10	Keeseville Country Gardens Keeseville, NY	58	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)

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Health based limits for Chloroform

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	80 ppb	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	70 ppb	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	5.7 ppb	Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	4000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	4000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk	70 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for a lifetime of exposure. The Lifetime health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is based on exposure for a a 70-kg adult consuming 2 liters of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	400 ppb	A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from drinking water. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for Chloroform

Water suppliers report an average of 1.6 Chloroform tests per year. 12,821 water suppliers failed to report any Chloroform tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Chloroform by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Chloroform (1998-2003): 26,930 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.6 per year

Chloroform Violations

Table. 1.1 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Chloroform between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	853	634
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	845	633
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	8	2
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)