EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Ammonia enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits; it is also used as disinfectant and in numerous industrial processes. Potential health impacts associated with Ammonia include gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. Potential health impacts associated with Ammonia include gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Ammonia:

	Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
	Industry
	Naturally Occurring (naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Ammonia tests reported by 784 public water suppliers in 13 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 13.1 million people in 208 communities drank water contaminated with Ammonia. Ammonia remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

13,054,202 People drinking water contaminated with Ammonia 208 Communities served water contaminated with Ammonia

Table. Ammonia Exposure by State

13.1 million Americans in 10 states were served tap water contaminated with Ammonia between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Ammonia contamination
	Systems	Population
California	31	6,092,356
Illinois	1	2,783,726
Nevada	4	1,337,050
Minnesota	46	1,255,017
Utah	12	650,531
Virginia	94	426,255
Idaho	10	349,896
Michigan	4	145,367
Missouri	4	7,295
Ohio	2	6,709
Total	208	13,054,202

Table. The most polluted communities

13.1 million Americans in 208 communities were served tap water contaminated with Ammonia between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Ammonia level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	City of Blackfoot Water Blackfoot, ID	10,419	1 of 1	14000 ppb (14000 to 14000 ppb)
2	Albany Albany, MO	2,000	1 of 1	6480 ppb (6480 to 6480 ppb)
3	Verdi Meadows Utility Company Reno, NV	510	10 of 10	5025 ppb (4240 to 5910 ppb)
4	Cricket Hill Apartments Hampton, VA	86	1 of 1	3800 ppb (3800 to 3800 ppb)
5	Clara City Clara City, MN	1,387	1 of 1	2430 ppb (2430 to 2430 ppb)
6	Brownton Brownton, MN	807	1 of 1	2360 ppb (2360 to 2360 ppb)
7	Biscay Biscay, MN	124	1 of 1	2300 ppb (2300 to 2300 ppb)
8	Shore Life Care At Parksley Parksley, VA	150	1 of 1	1980 ppb (1980 to 1980 ppb)
9	Winthrop Winthrop, MN	1,376	1 of 1	1960 ppb (1960 to 1960 ppb)
10	Gaylord Gaylord, MN	2,279	2 of 2	1640 ppb (1420 to 1860 ppb)

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Health based limits for Ammonia

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk	30000 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.

Testing Summary for Ammonia

Water suppliers report an average of 0.4 Ammonia tests per year. 38,967 water suppliers failed to report any Ammonia tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Ammonia by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Ammonia (1998-2003): 784 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.4 per year

Ammonia Violations

Because Ammonia is unregulated in tap water, no violations are recorded in EPA's violations database, the Safe Drinking Water Information System. Under the federal tap water law, water suppliers are not required to routinely test for Ammonia, and any level is legal in tap water.