EWG INVESTIGATION

Findings

About The Data

News Release

EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

Related News Clips

WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

Find Your Water Company

NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

Find a Contaminant

Credits

Sign up to receive email updates from EWG

Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Bromodichloromethane is a disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with Bromodichloromethane include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, and neurotoxicity. [read more]

Sources of Bromodichloromethane:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Bromodichloromethane tests reported by 26,868 public water suppliers in 41 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 147 million people in 9,966 communities drank water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane. In 7,298 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

147,485,443 People drinking water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane 9,966 Communities served water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane 115,218,832 People drinking water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane over health based limits 7,298 Communities served water with Bromodichloromethane above health based limits

Table. Bromodichloromethane Exposure by State

115 million Americans in 38 states were served tap water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Bromodichloromethane contamination		Water suppliers reporting Bromodichloromethane above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
California	450	21,471,767	261	12,167,934
Texas	1,834	16,975,548	1,191	11,939,797
Florida	434	13,922,630	378	10,701,874
Illinois	832	9,823,992	783	9,454,491
Ohio	602	9,490,353	559	9,374,829
New Jersey	245	6,793,433	138	5,453,093
North Carolina	570	5,388,885	373	5,039,071
Virginia	233	3,929,142	212	3,893,254
Washington	360	4,191,488	270	3,889,284
Colorado	349	3,894,330	257	3,745,136
Tennessee	221	4,265,860	199	3,414,703
Indiana	282	3,680,608	207	3,011,463
Michigan	258	3,001,446	163	2,688,268
Arkansas	408	2,915,769	309	2,647,293
Arizona	115	3,729,020	68	2,536,147
Alabama	200	3,584,414	109	2,476,300
Minnesota	292	3,397,065	149	2,417,911
Massachusetts	55	3,436,437	7	2,161,377
Pennsylvania	95	2,075,816	74	2,008,305
Oklahoma	294	2,572,852	243	1,969,487
South Carolina	130	2,146,020	80	1,916,200
Wisconsin	148	2,626,076	68	1,760,443
Nevada	47	1,970,087	29	1,666,999
Missouri	274	1,961,795	233	1,623,394
Utah	70	2,392,447	41	1,531,120
Iowa	92	1,271,694	67	1,081,413
Nebraska	106	1,038,526	57	895,393
New York	199	932,661	185	878,670
New Hampshire	130	556,751	123	554,504
Delaware	42	554,306	36	550,857
Montana	81	445,316	69	361,877
North Dakota	27	344,683	26	329,156
Maine	82	469,138	64	302,157
New Mexico	103	1,116,795	42	213,478
Wyoming	25	197,681	25	197,681
Alaska	174	384,087	127	161,908
South Dakota	51	143,819	45	139,303
Idaho	56	392,706	31	64,262
Total	9,966	147,485,443	7,298	115,218,832

Table. The most polluted communities

115 million Americans in 7,298 communities were served tap water contaminated with Bromodichloromethane above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Bromodichloromethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Saranac Water Department Saranac, NY	75	1 of 1	1600 ppb (1600 to 1600 ppb)
2	Country Sky Mobile Home Park Plattsburgh, NY	162	1 of 1	1600 ppb (1600 to 1600 ppb)
3	Abenaki Mobile Home Court Plattsburgh, NY	309	1 of 1	1300 ppb (1300 to 1300 ppb)
4	Boonville Village Boonville, NY	3,000	2 of 2	1200 ppb (1200 to 1200 ppb)
5	Boyd Community New Hartford, NY	126	4 of 4	1050.35 ppb (1.4 to 1400 ppb)
6	Adirondack Residential Ctr. Schyler Falls, NY	80	1 of 1	900 ppb (900 to 900 ppb)
7	Sandy Acres Mobile Home Park Plattsburgh, NY	33	1 of 1	900 ppb (900 to 900 ppb)
8	Saddle Mountain Corp Clancy Clancy, MT	350	1 of 1	860 ppb (860 to 860 ppb)
9	Rouses Point Village Rouses Point, NY	2,500	1 of 1	800 ppb (800 to 800 ppb)
10	Cobblestone Cove Peru, NY	75	1 of 1	800 ppb (800 to 800 ppb)

  Next -->

Health based limits for Bromodichloromethane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	80 ppb	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	0 ppb	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk	100 ppb	The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	0.55 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.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	1000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	60 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	100 ppb	A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from drinking water. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for Bromodichloromethane

Water suppliers report an average of 1.6 Bromodichloromethane tests per year. 12,883 water suppliers failed to report any Bromodichloromethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Bromodichloromethane by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Bromodichloromethane (1998-2003): 26,868 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.6 per year

Bromodichloromethane Violations

Table. 1.1 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Bromodichloromethane between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	853	633
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	846	633
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	7	1
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)