Antimony
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Antimony is a naturally occurring metal that enters tap water from plumbing fittings and also from industrial uses, such as production of metal alloys, batteries and plastics. Antimony causes organ damage and shortens lifespans in studies of laboratory animals.
2015:
31
states detected
870
utilities detected
13 million
people served
24
states over health guideline
143
utilities over health guideline
1.7 million
people served over health guideline
4
states over legal limit
4
utilities over legal limit
11,065
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for antimony
Harm to the liver
Change to the stomach and intestines
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
Health Guideline 1 ppb
The health guideline of 1 ppb for antimony 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 change to the stomach and intestines.
ppb = parts per billion.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 6 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)6 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 antimony in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| Texas | 1 | 75 | 323 | 7,391,691 | |||
| Colorado | 4 | 2,658 | 42 | 1,485,912 | |||
| California | 8 | 3,411 | 32 | 1,259,337 | |||
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,096,433 | 23 | 1,172,361 | |||
| Nevada | 5 | 329,473 | 9 | 356,348 | |||
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 21 | 343,855 | |||
| Florida | 63 | 67,814 | 224 | 223,394 | |||
| Virginia | 1 | 100 | 21 | 188,592 | |||
| Oklahoma | 13 | 32,438 | 19 | 137,690 | |||
| New York | 4 | 5,330 | 27 | 132,940 | |||
| Indiana | 4 | 95,080 | 14 | 125,681 | |||
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 20 | 105,508 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 1,182 | 37 | 57,121 | |||
| Missouri | 1 | 8,319 | 2 | 35,436 | |||
| Massachusetts | 3 | 29,837 | 4 | 29,872 | |||
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28,588 | |||
| Utah | 8 | 20,260 | 9 | 20,610 | |||
| North Carolina | 1 | 241 | 2 | 15,906 | |||
| Louisiana | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9,090 | |||
| Kentucky | 1 | 3,249 | 1 | 3,249 | |||
| Washington | 1 | 40 | 5 | 2,506 | |||
| Maine | 3 | 215 | 12 | 2,329 | |||
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,500 | |||
| Kansas | 3 | 1,255 | 4 | 1,408 | |||
| Montana | 1 | 21 | 2 | 911 | |||
| New Hampshire | 3 | 639 | 4 | 737 | |||
| Illinois | 1 | 660 | 1 | 660 | |||
| Connecticut | 2 | 277 | 3 | 425 | |||
| Georgia | 1 | 310 | 1 | 310 | |||
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 250 | |||
| Wyoming | 0 | 0 | 1 | 150 | |||
Utilities with the highest amounts of antimony, 2015
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quail Valley Water Dist-westside System | Tehachapi, CA | 4 of 4 | 11.3 ppb | 139 |
| Hanson Water Department | Hanson, MA | 2 of 2 | 9.00 ppb | 10,206 |
| Wentworth Mobile Home Park | Bangor, ME | 4 of 5 | 8.32 ppb | 80 |
| Sweetwater Community Inc. | Haines City, FL | 1 of 2 | 6.60 ppb | 640 |
| Beaverhead Jackson Water and Sewer District | Jackson, MT | 1 of 1 | 6.00 ppb | 21 |
| Muirfield Cluster | Stratham, NH | 2 of 3 | 5.80 ppb | 69 |
| Cedar Grove Mobile Home Park | Allentown, PA | 1 of 1 | 4.30 ppb | 65 |
| Stockton Town Water System | Stockton, UT | 15 of 16 | 4.29 ppb | 616 |
| Jordanelle Special Service District* | Heber City, UT | 5 of 5 | 4.28 ppb | 1,782 |
| Alta Town Water System | Sandy, UT | 11 of 11 | 4.03 ppb | 1,397 |
| Onset Fire District | Onset, MA | 1 of 1 | 4.00 ppb | 11,099 |
| Lewisport Municipal Water Works | Lewisport, KY | 1 of 1 | 4.00 ppb | 3,249 |
| Berks Leisure Living | Leesport, PA | 1 of 1 | 4.00 ppb | 27 |
| Diamond Woods Estates Mobile Home Park | Port Jefferson, NY | 1 of 1 | 3.70 ppb | 150 |
| Strawberry Fields Mobile Home Park | Plant City, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.60 ppb | 250 |
| Bernville Borough | Bernville, PA | 1 of 1 | 3.50 ppb | 1,010 |
| U.S. Marine Corps - Housing Coleville | Bridgeport, CA | 1 of 1 | 3.50 ppb | 325 |
| Park City Water System | Park City, UT | 19 of 23 | 3.47 ppb | 8,500 |
| Cws - Lakeland | San Jose, CA | 13 of 19 | 3.46 ppb | 686 |
| Mill Creek | Mill Creek, OK | 1 of 1 | 3.30 ppb | 442 |
| Bonfire Mobile Home Park | Leesburg, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.20 ppb | 270 |
| Gold Coast Utility | Nalcrest, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.10 ppb | 2,500 |
| Glen Garry Condos | Exeter, NH | 1 of 1 | 3.10 ppb | 298 |
| Oak Springs Mobile Home Park | Sorrento, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.10 ppb | 993 |
| Dayspring Village | Hilliard, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 116 |
| Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation | Wauchula, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 300 |
| Nps Echo Bay | Boulder City, NV | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 51 |
| Nps Callville Bay | Boulder City, NV | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 250 |
| Plainville Water Department | Plainville, MA | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 8,532 |
| North Bay Water System | Niceville, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 3,255 |
* 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 Antimony, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanson Water Department | Hanson, MA | 2 of 2 | 9.00 ppb | 10,206 |
| Onset Fire District | Onset, MA | 1 of 1 | 4.00 ppb | 11,099 |
| United Water NJ* | Haworth, NJ | 2 of 2 | 2.40 ppb | 792,713 |
| Carmel Water Department | Indianapolis, IN | 1 of 1 | 2.30 ppb | 80,800 |
| Connersville Utilities* | Connersville, IN | 2 of 2 | 1.85 ppb | 13,480 |
| Truckee Meadows Water Authority* | Reno, NV | 7 of 21 | 1.30 ppb | 311,932 |
| Ada* | Ada, OK | 1 of 1 | 1.26 ppb | 22,600 |
| Dunedin Water System | Dunedin, FL | 1 of 1 | 1.10 ppb | 40,093 |
| Fernley Public Works | Fernley, NV | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 18,000 |
| Okeechobee Utility Authority | Okeechobee, FL | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 20,000 |
| Tarpon Springs Water System* | Tarpon Springs, FL | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 30,415 |
| Borden Tri-County Region* | Borden, IN | 1 of 1 | 0.900 ppb | 10,382 |
| City of Odessa* | Odessa, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.630 ppb | 113,102 |
| Western Virginia Water Authority* | Roanoke, VA | 5 of 9 | 0.540 ppb | 155,000 |
| West Kern Water District | Taft, CA | 1 of 6 | 0.500 ppb | 21,181 |
| Hicksville WD | Hicksville, NY | 2 of 4 | 0.495 ppb | 47,810 |
| City of Big Spring* | Big Spring, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.440 ppb | 27,282 |
| City of Midland | Midland, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.440 ppb | 119,385 |
| Missouri American Jefferson City District* | Jefferson City, MO | 1 of 1 | 0.400 ppb | 27,117 |
| St. Johns County Utilities-Ponte Vedra | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.400 ppb | 13,220 |
| Brookwood Comm. Water System* | Fayetteville, NC | 2 of 20 | 0.397 ppb | 15,665 |
| Endicott Municipal Water Works | Endicott, NY | 1 of 3 | 0.363 ppb | 45,000 |
| St Albans Water | St. Albans, WV | 1 of 1 | 0.300 ppb | 13,265 |
| Geneva City* | Geneva, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.300 ppb | 14,284 |
| South Putnam PSD* | Scott Depot, WV | 1 of 1 | 0.300 ppb | 21,719 |
| City of Ennis* | Ennis, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.260 ppb | 19,331 |
| Elizabethtown Area Water | Elizabethtown, PA | 1 of 2 | 0.250 ppb | 18,900 |
| City of Mansfield* | Mansfield, TX | 1 of 1 | 0.230 ppb | 59,230 |
| South Milwaukee Waterworks | South Milwaukee, WI | 1 of 1 | 0.220 ppb | 21,340 |
| Dallas Water Utility* | Dallas, TX | 2 of 3 | 0.213 ppb | 1,197,816 |
* 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 Antimony, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.