Chromium (total)
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Chromium is a naturally occurring metal, but industrial uses can elevate its levels in water. One form, hexavalent chromium, causes cancer. Total chromium is not a good indicator of the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water.
2015-2017:
FOUND
FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT
50
states detected
10,189
utilities detected
143 million
people served
1
states over legal limit
1
utilities over legal limit
53
people served over legal limit
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 100 ppb
The legal limit for total chromium, established in 1991, was based on a 1958 toxicity study in laboratory animals, and applies to both the less-toxic trivalent chromium and the more-toxic hexavalent chromium forms of this compound. This limit does not protect against the risk of cancer from ingestion of hexavalent chromium.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting chromium (total) in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| Texas | 1,459 | 16,740,496 | |
| New York | 456 | 15,831,561 | |
| California | 637 | 15,609,433 | |
| Florida | 701 | 11,348,740 | |
| Illinois | 224 | 7,343,227 | |
| Pennsylvania | 407 | 6,388,551 | |
| New Jersey | 157 | 5,741,387 | |
| Arizona | 230 | 5,057,866 | |
| Maryland | 84 | 4,169,103 | |
| Colorado | 233 | 3,603,171 | |
| Missouri | 980 | 3,416,460 | |
| Washington | 351 | 3,292,651 | |
| Michigan | 82 | 2,890,443 | |
| Wisconsin | 280 | 2,565,226 | |
| Nevada | 68 | 2,472,535 | |
| Kansas | 518 | 2,358,518 | |
| Massachusetts | 98 | 2,301,878 | |
| Indiana | 136 | 2,156,854 | |
| Mississippi | 666 | 2,116,185 | |
| Utah | 57 | 1,764,215 | |
| Alabama | 112 | 1,635,907 | |
| Oklahoma | 131 | 1,557,985 | |
| Tennessee | 58 | 1,546,619 | |
| Kentucky | 128 | 1,517,863 | |
| Ohio | 110 | 1,436,218 | |
| Minnesota | 45 | 1,424,073 | |
| North Carolina | 90 | 1,406,758 | |
| Virginia | 124 | 1,379,537 | |
| Hawaii | 49 | 1,320,763 | |
| South Carolina | 72 | 1,220,857 | |
| Georgia | 51 | 1,220,111 | |
| New Mexico | 91 | 1,212,987 | |
| Connecticut | 63 | 1,164,979 | |
| Louisiana | 82 | 1,095,383 | |
| Iowa | 83 | 1,000,747 | |
| Oregon | 48 | 990,933 | |
| Delaware | 81 | 744,532 | |
| Arkansas | 99 | 715,888 | |
| Nebraska | 17 | 690,893 | |
| West Virginia | 91 | 571,548 | |
| Idaho | 53 | 563,996 | |
| Maine | 241 | 349,942 | |
| Alaska | 13 | 268,054 | |
| South Dakota | 37 | 250,497 | |
| Rhode Island | 37 | 249,971 | |
| New Hampshire | 256 | 247,991 | |
| North Dakota | 44 | 137,380 | |
| Wyoming | 32 | 127,892 | |
| Montana | 18 | 82,167 | |
| Vermont | 8 | 18,009 | |
| District Of Columbia | 1 | 15,690 | |
MORE
LESS
Filtering technologies that reduce chromium (total)
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Utilities with the highest amounts of chromium (total), 2015-2017
ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Unlimited, Incorporated* | Newcastle, WY | 1 of 1 | 70.0 ppb | 80 |
| Panorama Place Water Association | Grandview, WA | 1 of 1 | 69.0 ppb | 220 |
| Richland | Richland, GA | 1 of 1 | 63.8 ppb | 1,446 |
| Hide-a-way Mobile Village and Rv Park | Cheyenne, WY | 1 of 1 | 60.0 ppb | 130 |
| Truxton Canyon Water Company | Kingman, AZ | 1 of 1 | 58.0 ppb | 2,139 |
| Water Utility of Greater Tonopah Garden | Phoenix, AZ | 1 of 1 | 58.0 ppb | 17 |
| Desert Lake Community Services District | Boron, CA | 1 of 1 | 52.0 ppb | 792 |
| Bed Rock Mobile Home Park | Ulysses, KS | 3 of 3 | 51.3 ppb | 150 |
| Jeffrey City Water & Sewer District | Jeffrey City, WY | 1 of 2 | 50.0 ppb | 40 |
| Montclair Condominiums | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1 of 1 | 50.0 ppb | 1,100 |
| Yellowtail Dam Mk Upper System | Yellowtail, MT | 1 of 2 | 47.0 ppb | 40 |
| Redd Fox Park Homeowners Assoc | Riverton, WY | 2 of 4 | 45.0 ppb | 50 |
| Lander, City Of* | Lander, WY | 2 of 4 | 45.0 ppb | 6,800 |
| Norman* | Norman, OK | 51 of 52 | 44.3 ppb | 72,928 |
| Kingman Municipal Water | Kingman, AZ | 30 of 30 | 42.2 ppb | 45,000 |
| Adaman Mutual Water Company | Litchfield Park, AZ | 1 of 1 | 42.0 ppb | 700 |
| Joshua Valley Water Company | Meadview, AZ | 5 of 5 | 40.2 ppb | 957 |
| Bedford Water & Sewer District | Bedford, WY | 1 of 2 | 40.0 ppb | 950 |
| Dunnigan Water Works | Paso Robles, CA | 4 of 4 | 39.0 ppb | 400 |
| Sunset West Community LLC | Seaside, CA | 1 of 1 | 39.0 ppb | 350 |
| Sooner Utilities-valley Brook | Edmond, OK | 1 of 1 | 38.5 ppb | 1,008 |
| Santa Ynez Rancho Estates Mutual Water Company | Santa Ynez, CA | 3 of 3 | 36.7 ppb | 294 |
| Mccloskey Road LLC | Hollister, CA | 12 of 12 | 36.7 ppb | 25 |
| Hills Ranch Mutual Water Company | Albion, CA | 1 of 3 | 36.7 ppb | 60 |
| Jubilee Water Company Inc. | Brimfield, IL | 1 of 1 | 36.0 ppb | 88 |
| Yucca Water Association | Yucca, AZ | 1 of 1 | 35.0 ppb | 250 |
| Paradise Trails Pioneer Valley Ws | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 1 of 1 | 34.0 ppb | 61 |
| Los Madrones Mutual Water Company | San Juan Bautista, CA | 1 of 1 | 34.0 ppb | 40 |
| Park Place Mobile Home Park | Stamford, NY | 1 of 1 | 34.0 ppb | 72 |
| Rosie's Den Cafe | White Hills, AZ | 1 of 1 | 33.0 ppb | 29 |
| Tularcitos Mutual Water Company | Carmel Valley, CA | 1 of 1 | 33.0 ppb | 85 |
| Aptos Ridge Mutual Water Company | Watsonville, CA | 2 of 2 | 31.0 ppb | 50 |
| Grand Lake Public Works Authority | Ochelata, OK | 1 of 1 | 31.0 ppb | 2,800 |
| City of Phoenix* | Phoenix, AZ | 15 of 18 | 30.2 ppb | 1,579,000 |
| City of Los Banos | Los Banos, CA | 46 of 46 | 30.0 ppb | 37,168 |
| Mission Hills Community Services District | Lompoc, CA | 1 of 1 | 30.0 ppb | 3,300 |
| White Hills Water Company Unit 1 | Mesa, AZ | 1 of 1 | 30.0 ppb | 46 |
| Buehner Water System - Weber Complex | Patterson, CA | 1 of 1 | 29.0 ppb | 100 |
| Why Domestic Water Improvement District | Ajo, AZ | 1 of 1 | 28.0 ppb | 400 |
| City of Surprise - Mountain Vista* | Surprise, AZ | 48 of 48 | 27.9 ppb | 31,649 |
| City of Kerman | Kerman, CA | 6 of 6 | 27.2 ppb | 14,068 |
| Volta Community SD | Los Banos, CA | 1 of 1 | 27.0 ppb | 150 |
| City of Buckeye Sonora - Sundance | Buckeye, AZ | 2 of 2 | 26.9 ppb | 15,783 |
| Northside Mobile Home Park | Castle Hayne, NC | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 180 |
| U.S. Air Force Luke Air Force Base | Glendale, AZ | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 10,708 |
| Paradise Rd. Ws #21 | Salinas, CA | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 48 |
| Tierra Vista Mutual Water Company | Salinas, CA | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 57 |
| Carefree Water Company | Carefree, AZ | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 3,420 |
| Lakeview Improvement Assoication #1 | Fresno, CA | 2 of 4 | 26.0 ppb | 160 |
| Piedmont Municpal Authority* | Piedmont, OK | 3 of 3 | 25.7 ppb | 7,542 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Chromium (total), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norman* | Norman, OK | 51 of 52 | 44.3 ppb | 72,928 |
| Kingman Municipal Water | Kingman, AZ | 30 of 30 | 42.2 ppb | 45,000 |
| City of Phoenix* | Phoenix, AZ | 15 of 18 | 30.2 ppb | 1,579,000 |
| City of Los Banos | Los Banos, CA | 46 of 46 | 30.0 ppb | 37,168 |
| City of Surprise - Mountain Vista* | Surprise, AZ | 48 of 48 | 27.9 ppb | 31,649 |
| City of Kerman | Kerman, CA | 6 of 6 | 27.2 ppb | 14,068 |
| City of Buckeye Sonora - Sundance | Buckeye, AZ | 2 of 2 | 26.9 ppb | 15,783 |
| U.S. Air Force Luke Air Force Base | Glendale, AZ | 1 of 1 | 26.0 ppb | 10,708 |
| Epcor Water - Paradise Valley/Scottsdale | Youngtown, AZ | 1 of 1 | 25.0 ppb | 11,600 |
| City of Davis* | Davis, CA | 77 of 94 | 22.6 ppb | 67,298 |
| Moore | Moore, OK | 17 of 26 | 21.4 ppb | 41,138 |
| City of Patterson | Patterson, CA | 7 of 7 | 21.0 ppb | 20,560 |
| City of Woodland | Woodland, CA | 4 of 4 | 20.5 ppb | 56,464 |
| SBNDO County Service Area 70J | Victorville, CA | 62 of 63 | 18.8 ppb | 10,111 |
| Coachella Water Authority | Coachella, CA | 6 of 6 | 18.0 ppb | 41,904 |
| Rosamond CSD | Rosamond, CA | 4 of 4 | 15.0 ppb | 16,618 |
| Goodyear Water Department* | Goodyear, AZ | 15 of 15 | 14.7 ppb | 50,001 |
| City of Chubbuck | Chubbuck, ID | 1 of 1 | 13.0 ppb | 14,125 |
| Los Angeles County WW District 40 Reg 38 Lake Los Angeles | Alhambra, CA | 2 of 2 | 11.7 ppb | 13,600 |
| Arizona Water Company - Pinal Valley* | Phoenix, AZ | 8 of 9 | 10.8 ppb | 88,019 |
| UC - Davis | Davis, CA | 12 of 16 | 10.5 ppb | 40,185 |
| Epcor Water - Sun City | Youngtown, AZ | 7 of 8 | 10.1 ppb | 38,016 |
| USMC - 29 Palms | 29 Palms, CA | 17 of 21 | 10.0 ppb | 28,760 |
| York Water Company* | York, PA | 1 of 4 | 9.50 ppb | 159,623 |
| City of New Bern | New Bern, NC | 3 of 7 | 9.43 ppb | 35,052 |
| Pima Utilities | Sun Lakes, AZ | 15 of 15 | 9.28 ppb | 20,000 |
| City of El Mirage | El Mirage, AZ | 20 of 21 | 9.23 ppb | 36,905 |
| City of Edmond - Arcadia Lake* | Arcadia, OK | 88 of 90 | 9.17 ppb | 77,616 |
| City of Kingsville* | Kingsville, TX | 20 of 22 | 9.03 ppb | 32,736 |
| Mission Springs WD | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 6 of 10 | 9.00 ppb | 34,626 |
| Rio Linda/Alverta Community Water District | Rio Linda, CA | 18 of 22 | 8.96 ppb | 13,386 |
| City of Glendale | Phoenix, AZ | 22 of 28 | 8.71 ppb | 234,766 |
| City of Chandler | Chandler, AZ | 26 of 31 | 8.58 ppb | 247,328 |
| Arizona Water Company - Apache Junction | Phoenix, AZ | 2 of 2 | 8.50 ppb | 57,647 |
| Town of Gilbert | Gilbert, AZ | 13 of 14 | 8.37 ppb | 247,600 |
| West Jordan City Water System | Taylorsville, UT | 4 of 7 | 8.23 ppb | 113,699 |
| City of Watsonville | Watsonville, CA | 40 of 48 | 8.18 ppb | 65,739 |
| Metropolitan Utilities District* | Omaha, NE | 1 of 1 | 8.15 ppb | 600,000 |
| City of Beaumont Water Utility Department* | Beaumont, TX | 1 of 5 | 7.84 ppb | 118,129 |
| Oklahoma University | Norman, OK | 6 of 6 | 7.83 ppb | 34,000 |
| Jackson | Jackson, MO | 2 of 2 | 7.39 ppb | 14,386 |
| Sunnyslope County Water District | Hollister, CA | 3 of 5 | 7.20 ppb | 19,189 |
| City of Avondale | Avondale, AZ | 3 of 5 | 6.80 ppb | 83,001 |
| Troy* | Troy, MO | 4 of 4 | 6.67 ppb | 10,500 |
| Prescott Valley WD Upper* | Prescott Valley, AZ | 28 of 28 | 6.67 ppb | 49,003 |
| O'Fallon | Ofallon, MO | 5 of 5 | 6.62 ppb | 27,000 |
| City of Prescott* | Prescott, AZ | 28 of 28 | 6.54 ppb | 43,217 |
| City of Mesa* | Mesa, AZ | 30 of 35 | 6.42 ppb | 466,000 |
| Coachella Valley Water District: Cove Community* | Palm Desert, CA | 89 of 152 | 6.41 ppb | 198,544 |
| Tinker AFB Bio-env Eng* | Tinker Afb, OK | 13 of 17 | 6.23 ppb | 24,645 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Chromium (total), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.