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.

Phosphate is a component of fertilizer and manure and a pollutant in municipal wastewater discharges No information on potential health impacts for Phosphate was identified in standard government and academic sources.

Sources of Phosphate:

	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 Phosphate tests reported by 258 public water suppliers in 9 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 12.2 million people in 169 communities drank water contaminated with Phosphate. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Phosphate remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

12,197,592 People drinking water contaminated with Phosphate 169 Communities served water contaminated with Phosphate

Table. Phosphate Exposure by State

12.2 million Americans in 8 states were served tap water contaminated with Phosphate between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Phosphate contamination
	Systems	Population
California	76	9,322,828
Nevada	6	1,574,828
Ohio	58	995,286
Delaware	17	216,539
Illinois	3	48,764
Virginia	1	14,000
New York	2	13,151
Nebraska	6	12,196
Total	169	12,197,592

Table. The most polluted communities

12.2 million Americans in 169 communities were served tap water contaminated with Phosphate between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Phosphate level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Apple Creek Developmental Center Apple Creek, OH	185	6 of 6	5645 ppb (1130 to 11770 ppb)
2	Village of La Rue Public Water Supply La Rue, OH	775	6 of 6	5253.33 ppb (1350 to 16680 ppb)
3	West Farmington, Village West Farmington, OH	1,100	1 of 1	4540 ppb (4540 to 4540 ppb)
4	Sherwood Forest Mhp Greenville, OH	578	2 of 2	4255 ppb (2960 to 5550 ppb)
5	City of St. Clairsville Water St.clairsville, OH	5,238	2 of 2	3480 ppb (1070 to 5890 ppb)
6	Ohio - American Water Company - Beechcre Kent, OH	1,375	2 of 2	3265 ppb (3120 to 3410 ppb)
7	Village of Killbuck Water Killbuck, OH	970	17 of 17	3232.94 ppb (120 to 6010 ppb)
8	Village of Ansonia Water Ansonia, OH	1,279	2 of 2	2900 ppb (2700 to 3100 ppb)
9	Ohio - American Water Company - Aurora E Kent, OH	950	2 of 2	2260 ppb (2050 to 2470 ppb)
10	Shelby Water Treatment Plant Shelby, OH	9,860	23 of 23	2063.91 ppb (720 to 4420 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Phosphate

Water suppliers report an average of 2.5 Phosphate tests per year. 39,493 water suppliers failed to report any Phosphate tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Phosphate by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Phosphate (1998-2003): 258 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 2.5 per year

Phosphate Violations

Because Phosphate 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 Phosphate, and any level is legal in tap water.