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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.

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

Sources of Chlorodibromoacetic acid:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Chlorodibromoacetic acid tests reported by 135 public water suppliers in 2 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 536 thousand people in 38 communities drank water contaminated with Chlorodibromoacetic acid. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Chlorodibromoacetic acid remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

535,832 People drinking water contaminated with Chlorodibromoacetic acid 38 Communities served water contaminated with Chlorodibromoacetic acid

Table. Chlorodibromoacetic acid Exposure by State

536 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Chlorodibromoacetic acid between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Chlorodibromoacetic acid contamination
	Systems	Population
Missouri	36	457,377
California	2	78,455
Total	38	535,832

Table. The most polluted communities

536,000 Americans in 38 communities were served tap water contaminated with Chlorodibromoacetic acid between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Chlorodibromoacetic acid level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Ramona Municipal Water Department Ramona, CA	34,822	1 of 1	12 ppb (12 to 12 ppb)
2	Boonville Boonville, MO	8,202	4 of 9	10.41 ppb (0 to 55.2 ppb)
3	Keytesville Keytesville, MO	564	2 of 4	4.41 ppb (0 to 8.89 ppb)
4	Harrison Co Public Water Supply District Bethany, MO	2,950	2 of 5	2.76 ppb (0 to 7.07 ppb)
5	City of Yuba City Water Department Yuba City, CA	43,633	1 of 1	2.3 ppb (2.3 to 2.3 ppb)
6	College of The Ozarks Point Lookout, MO	1,200	5 of 10	2.19 ppb (0 to 7.38 ppb)
7	Glasgow Glasgow, MO	1,295	3 of 9	1.95 ppb (0 to 8.68 ppb)
8	City Utilities of Springfield Springfield, MO	149,237	3 of 10	1.78 ppb (0 to 12.8 ppb)
9	Marshall Marshall, MO	12,800	3 of 11	1.69 ppb (0 to 8.35 ppb)
10	Branson Branson, MO	6,050	2 of 9	1.56 ppb (0 to 8.64 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Chlorodibromoacetic acid

Water suppliers report an average of 1.3 Chlorodibromoacetic acid tests per year. 39,616 water suppliers failed to report any Chlorodibromoacetic acid tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Chlorodibromoacetic acid by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Chlorodibromoacetic acid (1998-2003): 135 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.3 per year

Chlorodibromoacetic acid Violations

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