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.

Alpha-Lindane is a component of the insecticide HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) formerly used for gardens, lumber, cattle and phased out of use in the U.S. in the 1970s. Potential health impacts associated with alpha-Lindane include cancer and gastrointestinal or liver toxicity.

Sources of alpha-Lindane:

	Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of alpha-Lindane tests reported by 279 public water suppliers in 10 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 9,689 people in 7 communities drank water contaminated with alpha-Lindane. In all of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. alpha-Lindane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

9,689 People drinking water contaminated with alpha-Lindane 7 Communities served water contaminated with alpha-Lindane 9,689 People drinking water contaminated with alpha-Lindane over health based limits 7 Communities served water with alpha-Lindane above health based limits

Table. alpha-Lindane Exposure by State

9,689 Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with alpha-Lindane at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with alpha-Lindane contamination		Water suppliers reporting alpha-Lindane above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Wisconsin	7	9,689	7	9,689
Total	7	9,689	7	9,689

Table. The most polluted communities

9,689 Americans in 7 communities were served tap water contaminated with alpha-Lindane above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average alpha-Lindane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Footville Waterworks Footville, WI	768	1 of 1	5900 ppb (5900 to 5900 ppb)
2	Cottage Grove Waterworks Cottage Grove, WI	4,152	1 of 1	5100 ppb (5100 to 5100 ppb)
3	Soldiers Grove Waterworks Soldiers Grove, WI	651	1 of 1	3000 ppb (3000 to 3000 ppb)
4	Sauk Co Health Care Center Reedsburg, WI	440	1 of 1	1600 ppb (1600 to 1600 ppb)
5	Maryville Sd 2 Hazel Green, WI	100	1 of 1	1100 ppb (1100 to 1100 ppb)
6	Boscobel Waterworks Boscobel, WI	3,228	1 of 1	700 ppb (700 to 700 ppb)
7	Fitchburg Utility District 1 South Fitchburg, WI	350	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)

Health based limits for alpha-Lindane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	<0.01 ppb	Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for alpha-Lindane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 alpha-Lindane tests per year. 39,472 water suppliers failed to report any alpha-Lindane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for alpha-Lindane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for alpha-Lindane (1998-2003): 279 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

alpha-Lindane Violations

Because alpha-Lindane 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 alpha-Lindane, and any level is legal in tap water.