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.

Bromodichloroacetic acid is a disinfection by-product. No information on potential health impacts for Bromodichloroacetic acid was identified in standard government and academic sources.

Sources of Bromodichloroacetic acid:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Bromodichloroacetic acid tests reported by 164 public water suppliers in 3 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 1.2 million people in 107 communities drank water contaminated with Bromodichloroacetic acid. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Bromodichloroacetic acid remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

1,160,652 People drinking water contaminated with Bromodichloroacetic acid 107 Communities served water contaminated with Bromodichloroacetic acid

Table. Bromodichloroacetic acid Exposure by State

1.2 million Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Bromodichloroacetic acid between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Bromodichloroacetic acid contamination
	Systems	Population
Missouri	104	1,021,220
California	3	139,432
Total	107	1,160,652

Table. The most polluted communities

1.2 million Americans in 107 communities were served tap water contaminated with Bromodichloroacetic acid between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Bromodichloroacetic acid level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Boonville Boonville, MO	8,202	7 of 9	50.75 ppb (0 to 349 ppb)
2	Downing Downing, MO	359	3 of 4	19.54 ppb (0 to 73 ppb)
3	Glasgow Glasgow, MO	1,295	9 of 9	12.57 ppb (0.78 to 18 ppb)
4	Rich Hill Rich Hill, MO	1,400	8 of 8	10.48 ppb (2.9 to 34 ppb)
5	Harrison Co Public Water Supply District Bethany, MO	2,950	5 of 5	9.48 ppb (4.91 to 14.2 ppb)
6	Archie Archie, MO	950	9 of 9	9.05 ppb (3.92 to 13.1 ppb)
7	Keytesville Keytesville, MO	564	4 of 4	8.63 ppb (4.22 to 15.4 ppb)
8	Adrian Adrian, MO	1,700	9 of 9	7.92 ppb (1.31 to 12.5 ppb)
9	Maryville Maryville, MO	9,872	11 of 11	7.85 ppb (2.86 to 22.1 ppb)
10	City Utilities of Springfield Springfield, MO	149,237	9 of 10	7.73 ppb (0 to 42.4 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Bromodichloroacetic acid

Water suppliers report an average of 1.3 Bromodichloroacetic acid tests per year. 39,587 water suppliers failed to report any Bromodichloroacetic acid tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Bromodichloroacetic acid by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Bromodichloroacetic acid (1998-2003): 164 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.3 per year

Bromodichloroacetic acid Violations

Because Bromodichloroacetic acid 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 Bromodichloroacetic acid, and any level is legal in tap water.