The Power of Information

National Drinking Water Database


Nevada

222 systems serving 2,414,998 people

This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Nevada, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the State water agency. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.



 
Chemicals
Water Utilities
Population Served
Detected Chemicals
73
222
2,395,224
Exceed health guidelines*
33
189
2,380,253
Exceed Legal Limits*
17
86
544,547
Unregulated chemicals detected
17
30
1,826,510
* Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

33 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits

Contaminants detected in Nevada drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities

Contaminant
Population
Number of Systems
At Any Level Above Health Limits At Any Level Above Health Limits
Combined Radium (-226 & -228)2,231,4532,231,4535252
Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium)2,171,3062,171,3065454
Arsenic (total)2,090,4042,090,404132132
Total haloacetic acids (HAAs)2,071,8482,051,3131412
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)2,193,9842,040,2884717
Combined Uranium (mg/L)1,905,6801,905,6807070
Radium-2261,887,7631,887,7634949
Radium-2281,648,9451,648,9454242
Lead (total)1,591,3061,591,3062626
Radon1,526,9891,526,98966

Water Utilities in Nevada Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines

Water utilities in Nevada reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:

System
Population
Chemicals tested
Chemicals found
Chemicals exceeding
health guidelines
Silver Peak Water System1381002313
Las Vegas Valley Water District1,181,2631253012
City of Elko18,0001331811
City of North Las Vegas Utilities Department282,6001602611
City of Henderson246,0001062811
Carson City Water Division56,5001622111
Big Bend Water District8,3001841710
Sunrise Estates9192189
Elk Point Country Club325153149
Canyon Gid2,370157138
Spring Creek Water Company1,85089138
Nellis Air Force Base6,288100228
Old Washoe Estates Wcud128148138
Searchlight Water Company76098268
Lemmon Valley Water Company2,853155148
Truckee Meadows Water Authority315,200126218
Virgin Valley Water District17,000148188
Jackpot Water System1,240141138
Arrowcreek1,975159187
Hawthorne Army Ammo Depot30094127

Sources of Nevada Drinking Water Contaminants

The contaminants identified in Nevada drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.

73Total Contaminants Detected (2004 - 2008)
12Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

Arsenic (total), Cyanide, Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Phosphorus, Diquat, DCPA mono acid degradate, 2,4-D, Foaming agents (surfactants), p-Dichlorobenzene

27Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Tetrachloroethylene, Nitrite, Xylenes (total), Cadmium (total), Antimony (total), Mercury (total inorganic), m- & p- Xylene, Cyanide, o-Xylene, Foaming agents (surfactants), Benzene, Acetone, Molybdenum, Silver (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, Phosphorus, Di-n-butylphthalate, 2,4-D, Naphthalene, Diethylphthalate, Phenanthrene, DCPA mono acid degradate

55Industrial Pollutants

Aluminum, Bromide, Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Antimony (total), Beryllium (total), Molybdenum, Thallium (total), Titanium, Vanadium, Phosphorus, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Chloromethane, Acetone, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene, Diethylphthalate, Di-n-butylphthalate, 1,3-Dichloropropane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Foaming agents (surfactants), Xylenes (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene, Benzene, Toluene, Styrene, o-Xylene, m- & p- Xylene, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Uranium-238, Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Strontium-90, Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)

16Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Dibromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Bromochloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Cadmium (total), Chloromethane, Bromate

29Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Barium (total), Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Manganese, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Chromium (total), Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Aluminum, Selenium (total), Nitrite, Radon, Bromide, Mercury (total inorganic), Chloromethane, Cyanide, Uranium-238, Silver (total), Phosphorus, Titanium

18Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants

Bromide, Lead (total), Molybdenum, Titanium, Vanadium, Phosphorus, DCPA mono acid degradate, Chloromethane, Acetone, Naphthalene, Phenanthrene, Diethylphthalate, Di-n-butylphthalate, 1,3-Dichloropropane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Bromochloroacetic acid, Radon, Strontium-90

Testing Summary for Nevada

The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.

Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Nevada246
 Contaminants tested due to federal law: 110
 Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 136

Violation Summary for Nevada

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Nevada since 2004

Violation TypeNumber of Violations
Failure to monitor regularly1,983
Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule271
Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria)202
Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report182
Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria)102
Over maximum contaminant level, Average89
Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling37
Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria)37
Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper17
Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria)13
Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria)9
Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria)5
Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination)3
Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule)3
Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample3
Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule)2
Failure to monitor: Check/Repeat/Confirmation sampling1