National Drinking Water Database
Vermont
436 systems serving 410,630 people
This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Vermont, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. 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 | 71 |
436 |
386,801 |
Exceed health guidelines* | 28 |
412 |
380,578 |
Exceed Legal Limits* | 18 |
125 |
165,269 |
Unregulated chemicals detected | 21 |
38 |
37,994 |
| * 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. | |||
28 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits
Contaminants detected in Vermont 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 | |
| Lead (total) | 314,926 | 314,926 | 277 | 277 |
| Bromodichloromethane | 272,998 | 272,998 | 199 | 199 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 303,363 | 226,254 | 232 | 113 |
| Chloroform | 285,321 | 224,004 | 207 | 109 |
| Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) | 214,812 | 214,812 | 113 | 113 |
| Dichloroacetic acid | 211,436 | 211,436 | 110 | 110 |
| Dibromochloromethane | 161,737 | 146,480 | 135 | 130 |
| Trichloroacetic acid | 206,221 | 142,904 | 108 | 52 |
| Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium) | 108,640 | 108,640 | 166 | 166 |
| Bromoform | 108,521 | 108,521 | 62 | 62 |
Water Utilities in Vermont Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines
Water utilities in Vermont 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Water Company | 2,400 | 134 | 21 | 16 |
| Battleground Condominium | 286 | 67 | 21 | 14 |
| Mount Snow Village Association | 123 | 138 | 20 | 13 |
| Dairy Center | 34 | 154 | 20 | 12 |
| Waterbury Village Water | 4,995 | 123 | 17 | 12 |
| Derby Center Water System | 1,100 | 87 | 20 | 12 |
| Smugglers Notch Water System | 2,960 | 132 | 18 | 12 |
| North Hero Water System | 1,800 | 128 | 18 | 11 |
| Timbercreek Condominium | 1,116 | 130 | 17 | 11 |
| Barton Water System | 950 | 83 | 18 | 11 |
| Pinecrest Mobile Home Park | 139 | 160 | 17 | 11 |
| Johnson Village Water Dept | 1,350 | 118 | 16 | 11 |
| St George Villas | 420 | 74 | 18 | 11 |
| Jackson Gore Okemo | 1,695 | 123 | 14 | 10 |
| Telemark Village | 123 | 89 | 15 | 10 |
| Commons The | 79 | 84 | 13 | 10 |
| Wilmington Water Dist | 1,400 | 103 | 16 | 10 |
| Brattleboro Water Dept | 12,200 | 122 | 18 | 10 |
| Thetford Water Coop Inc | 115 | 122 | 14 | 10 |
| Alburg Fire District 1 | 87 | 91 | 18 | 10 |
Sources of Vermont Drinking Water Contaminants
The contaminants identified in Vermont drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.
Testing Summary for Vermont
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
| Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Vermont | 199 | |
| Contaminants tested due to federal law: | 95 | |
| Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: | 104 | |
Violation Summary for Vermont
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in Vermont since 2004
| Violation Type | Number of Violations |
|---|---|
| Failure to monitor regularly | 2,195 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) | 458 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Average | 273 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) | 252 |
| Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule | 217 |
| Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report | 180 |
| Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 98 |
| Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling | 56 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) | 38 |
| Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper | 26 |
| Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations | 24 |
| Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Study Recommendation | 20 |
| Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) | 18 |
| Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) | 16 |
| Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting | 15 |
| Public Education | 11 |
| Initial, Follow-up, or Routine Source Water Treatment Monitoring and Reporting | 11 |
| Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination) | 4 |
| Treatment Technique No Certif. Operator | 2 |
| Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 2 |
| Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Installation/Demonstration | 2 |
| Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule) | 2 |
| Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample | 1 |
| Filter Turbidity Reporting | 1 |