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Cyanide

Status: National drinking water standard exists

 

Cyanide is a toxic chemical that causes central nervous system and thyroid toxicity. Water contamination is generally the result of metal mining and chemical industry waste, runoff from agriculture and road salts used for melting ice.

2015:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

28

states detected

1,160

utilities detected

23 million

people served

0

states over health guideline

0

utilities over health guideline

0

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for cyanide

Harm to the brain and nervous system

Harm to the thyroid

Harm to the central nervous system

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

Health Guideline 150 ppb

The health guideline of 150 ppb for cyanide was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to the brain and nervous system.

ppb = parts per billion.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 200 ppb

The enforceable federal standard that defines the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.

ppb = parts per billion.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG)200 ppb

A non-enforceable federal health guideline. For cancer-causing chemicals, these health goals are typically set to zero.

ppb = parts per billion.

States reporting cyanide in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
Texas85815,751,076
Florida361,345,516
Utah471,031,153
Missouri39970,884
New Jersey22925,063
Louisiana18898,449
New York30384,653
Kansas1331,900
Wisconsin7313,065
Mississippi9221,220
Tennessee8112,139
West Virginia1496,247
Kentucky680,442
Ohio575,798
Massachusetts473,707
North Dakota368,257
Indiana1831,628
Minnesota1523,217
Rhode Island215,639
Colorado14,520
Illinois41,855
Connecticut51,218
Virginia3949
Wyoming1830
Arkansas1422
Alaska1350
California155
Washington140
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Utilities with the highest amounts of cyanide, 2015

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
City of GroesbeckGroesbeck, TX1 of 1211.0 ppb4,328
Aaseby CourtThief River Falls, MN1 of 2205.0 ppb50
City of Bronte*Bronte, TX1 of 1196.0 ppb999
FreebornFreeborn, MN1 of 2195.0 ppb297
City of Corpus Christi*Corpus Christi, TX4 of 4190.0 ppb316,381
Watauga River Regional Water A*Elizabethton, TN1 of 1187.0 ppb410
Whispering Pines ParkTampa, FL1 of 1180.0 ppb50
Ashland Water and Sewer Department*Ashland, MA1 of 1172.0 ppb16,593
Silver Palm Mobile HomesMiami, FL1 of 1170.0 ppb250
City of Mansfield*Mansfield, TX1 of 1168.0 ppb59,230
City of Sweetwater*Sweetwater, TX1 of 1165.0 ppb12,148
City of EdgewoodEdgewood, TX1 of 1163.0 ppb1,350
New Horizons Ranch & CenterAbilene, TX1 of 1160.0 ppb150
Loop 360 Water Supply Corporation*Austin, TX1 of 1160.0 ppb1,800
South Tawakoni Water Supply CorporationWills Point, TX1 of 1160.0 ppb4,317
Lake Palo Pinto Area Water Supply CorporationGordon, TX1 of 1158.0 ppb1,869
City of Graham*Graham, TX1 of 1155.0 ppb8,900
City of Midlothian*Midlothian, TX2 of 2155.0 ppb16,608
City of Runaway Bay*Runaway Bay, TX1 of 1151.0 ppb1,250
Bell County Water Control and Improvement District 1*Killeen, TX3 of 3150.0 ppb213
City of White OakWhite Oak, TX1 of 1149.0 ppb7,119
City of PointPoint, TX1 of 1148.0 ppb2,961
White River Municipal Water District*Spur, TX1 of 1147.0 ppb620
City of Abilene*Abilene, TX3 of 3146.7 ppb123,886
Central Texas Water Supply Corporation*Harker Heights, TX2 of 2145.0 ppb0
South Garza Water Supply CorporationPost, TX1 of 1142.0 ppb175
City of Winters*Winters, TX1 of 1140.0 ppb2,880
Valley Municipal Utility District 2 Rancho ViejoOlmito, TX1 of 1140.0 ppb2,473
City of Georgetown*Georgetown, TX9 of 9136.7 ppb72,380
Brownsville Public Utilities Board*Brownsville, TX2 of 2135.0 ppb176,362

* 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 Cyanide, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

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UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
City of Corpus Christi*Corpus Christi, TX4 of 4190.0 ppb316,381
Ashland Water and Sewer Department*Ashland, MA1 of 1172.0 ppb16,593
City of Mansfield*Mansfield, TX1 of 1168.0 ppb59,230
City of Sweetwater*Sweetwater, TX1 of 1165.0 ppb12,148
City of Midlothian*Midlothian, TX2 of 2155.0 ppb16,608
City of Abilene*Abilene, TX3 of 3146.7 ppb123,886
City of Georgetown*Georgetown, TX9 of 9136.7 ppb72,380
Brownsville Public Utilities Board*Brownsville, TX2 of 2135.0 ppb176,362
City of Beeville*Beeville, TX1 of 1130.0 ppb15,039
City of Waco*Waco, TX5 of 5130.0 ppb127,003
City of Odessa*Odessa, TX1 of 1122.0 ppb113,102
City of Corsicana*Corsicana, TX2 of 2121.2 ppb26,531
Nueces County WCID 3*Robstown, TX1 of 1120.0 ppb14,607
City of Azle*Azle, TX1 of 1116.0 ppb14,745
Travis County WCID 17*Austin, TX1 of 1110.0 ppb33,132
McAllen Public Utility*Mcallen, TX2 of 2110.0 ppb163,302
Lubbock Public Water System*Lubbock, TX1 of 1110.0 ppb235,398
City of Weatherford*Weatherford, TX1 of 1105.0 ppb25,250
City of Leander*Leander, TX1 of 1100.0 ppb40,500
East Rio Hondo WSC*, TX1 of 1100.0 ppb20,187
City of Austin Water & Wastewater*Austin, TX3 of 3100.0 ppb907,299
City of Arlington*Arlington, TX1 of 197.3 ppb379,370
Walnut Creek SUD*Springtown, TX1 of 192.8 ppb18,528
City of Round Rock*Round Rock, TX1 of 190.0 ppb103,278
City of Edinburg*Edinburg, TX2 of 290.0 ppb77,100
City of Fort Worth*Fort Worth, TX5 of 587.2 ppb748,450
City of Lewisville*Lewisville, TX2 of 287.0 ppb99,480
Harlingen Water Works System*Harlingen, TX1 of 285.0 ppb85,900
City of Brenham*Brenham, TX1 of 180.0 ppb15,716
City of CleburneCleburne, TX3 of 379.9 ppb30,000

* 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 Cyanide, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

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