EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

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

Dibromomethane is an unregulated by-product of tap water disinfection and an EPA top priority for testing and study in tap water based on toxicity concerns; it also has limited industrial uses as intermediate in chemical synthesis and ingredient in fire extinguishing fluids. Potential health impacts associated with Dibromomethane include cancer, developmental toxicity, endocrine toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Dibromomethane:

Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Dibromomethane tests reported by 25,030 public water suppliers in 37 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 1.4 million people in 108 communities drank water contaminated with Dibromomethane. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Dibromomethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

1,389,133 People drinking water contaminated with Dibromomethane 108 Communities served water contaminated with Dibromomethane

Table. Dibromomethane Exposure by State

1.4 million Americans in 21 states were served tap water contaminated with Dibromomethane between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Dibromomethane contamination
	Systems	Population
Texas	49	434,778
Nebraska	2	203,447
Arizona	1	180,000
California	4	179,581
Indiana	4	73,121
North Carolina	13	57,731
New Jersey	4	52,888
New Mexico	1	41,001
Michigan	3	38,626
Tennessee	1	32,280
Alabama	2	24,840
New Hampshire	1	19,000
Florida	4	14,675
Ohio	5	11,756
Wisconsin	1	10,043
Alaska	4	7,393
Oklahoma	4	3,512
Colorado	2	1,835
Washington	1	1,700
Iowa	1	689
Nevada	1	237
Total	108	1,389,133

Table. The most polluted communities

1.4 million Americans in 108 communities were served tap water contaminated with Dibromomethane between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Dibromomethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Oasis Village Okeechobee, FL	250	1 of 2	7.35 ppb (0 to 14.7 ppb)
2	Blue Heron Golf & Country Club Okeechobee, FL	200	1 of 1	6.9 ppb (6.9 to 6.9 ppb)
3	Peru Utilities / Grissom Peru, IN	1,221	1 of 1	3.3 ppb (3.3 to 3.3 ppb)
4	Dempsey Road Mutual Water Company Oxnard, CA	1,600	1 of 1	3.2 ppb (3.2 to 3.2 ppb)
5	Continental Water Treatment Plant Continental, OH	1,250	1 of 1	2.5 ppb (2.5 to 2.5 ppb)
6	Nps Echo Bay Boulder City, NV	237	1 of 5	2.2 ppb (0 to 11 ppb)
7	Farmington Water System Farmington, NM	41,001	1 of 2	2.2 ppb (0 to 4.4 ppb)
8	Plainfield Juvenile Correctional Fac. Plainfield, IN	4,500	1 of 1	1.9 ppb (1.9 to 1.9 ppb)
9	Island Water Association Sanibel, FL	14,150	1 of 2	1.65 ppb (0 to 3.3 ppb)
10	Orangefield Water Supply Commission Orangefield, TX	3,618	1 of 2	1.2 ppb (0 to 2.4 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Dibromomethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 Dibromomethane tests per year. 14,721 water suppliers failed to report any Dibromomethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Dibromomethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Dibromomethane (1998-2003): 25,030 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

Dibromomethane Violations

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