EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

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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.

Dichlorprop is an herbicide used to control weeds for rangeland, roadways, pastures, turf; it is also used on apples. Potential health impacts associated with Dichlorprop include developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity.

Sources of Dichlorprop:

Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Dichlorprop tests reported by 929 public water suppliers in 5 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 117 thousand people in 5 communities drank water contaminated with Dichlorprop. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Dichlorprop remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

117,426 People drinking water contaminated with Dichlorprop 5 Communities served water contaminated with Dichlorprop

Table. Dichlorprop Exposure by State

117 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Dichlorprop between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Dichlorprop contamination
	Systems	Population
California	1	112,133
New Mexico	4	5,293
Total	5	117,426

Table. The most polluted communities

117,000 Americans in 5 communities were served tap water contaminated with Dichlorprop between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Dichlorprop level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Tierra Monte Water Users Association Albuquerque, NM	63	1 of 1	0.19 ppb (0.19 to 0.19 ppb)
2	Candy Kitchen Water Coop Pinehill, NM	50	1 of 3	0.11 ppb (0 to 0.34 ppb)
3	Cal - American Water Company - Monterey Monterey, CA	112,133	1 of 45	0.09 ppb (0 to 4 ppb)
4	Rio Communities Belen, NM	5,100	1 of 4	0.08 ppb (0 to 0.34 ppb)
5	Mojave Academy Datil, NM	80	1 of 1	0.03 ppb (0.03 to 0.03 ppb)

Testing Summary for Dichlorprop

Water suppliers report an average of 0.4 Dichlorprop tests per year. 38,822 water suppliers failed to report any Dichlorprop tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Dichlorprop by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Dichlorprop (1998-2003): 929 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.4 per year

Dichlorprop Violations

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