Molybdenum

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Molybdenum is a metal that occurs naturally in soil, minerals and water. People who ingest large amounts can have increased levels of uric acid and gout-like symptoms.

2012-2017:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

states detected

4,543

utilities detected

154 million

people served

states over health guideline

utilities over health guideline

300,000

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for molybdenum

Change in blood chemistry

Gout

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 40 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 40 ppb for molybdenum was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmark for testing under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program. This health guideline protects against metabolic changes and excess formation of uric acid in the blood.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting molybdenum in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		4	17,663			476	34,697,124
Texas		0	0			668	19,531,125
Florida		6	134,807			208	12,075,964
Illinois		2	5,705			411	10,758,715
Ohio		1	10,867			324	8,313,826
Arizona		0	0			92	5,587,751
Pennsylvania		0	0			111	5,304,024
New York		0	0			106	5,291,155
Colorado		0	0			141	4,275,791
Indiana		3	31,028			141	3,681,336
Missouri		0	0			128	3,466,203
Kentucky		3	90,190			113	2,750,718
Virginia		0	0			32	2,748,600
Minnesota		0	0			80	2,684,026
New Jersey		0	0			51	2,440,789
Nevada		0	0			24	2,434,499
Utah		0	0			69	2,400,518
Louisiana		0	0			63	2,358,342
Oklahoma		0	0			133	2,091,131
Kansas		0	0			132	2,090,241
Michigan		0	0			85	1,909,847
Wisconsin		0	0			55	1,877,988
Alabama		0	0			48	1,617,810
Iowa		0	0			171	1,501,389
New Mexico		0	0			44	1,395,576
Washington		0	0			56	1,352,663
Nebraska		0	0			35	1,177,279
South Carolina		0	0			59	1,124,681
Georgia		1	9,274			39	1,071,069
North Carolina		0	0			76	887,376
Idaho		0	0			20	704,685
District Of Columbia		0	0			3	648,882
South Dakota		0	0			102	455,560
North Dakota		0	0			22	443,197
Montana		0	0			41	367,988
West Virginia		0	0			34	335,328
Oregon		0	0			21	321,808
Connecticut		0	0			10	256,414
Alaska		0	0			5	241,409
Massachusetts		0	0			15	229,221
Tennessee		0	0			12	219,093
Rhode Island		0	0			8	170,197
Wyoming		0	0			39	169,791
Delaware		0	0			5	155,861
Hawaii		0	0			6	117,059
Maryland		0	0			6	115,667
Mississippi		0	0			6	86,173
Arkansas		0	0			10	40,756
Maine		0	0			1	31,440
Vermont		0	0			5	11,056
New Hampshire		0	0			1	11,000

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce molybdenum

Utilities with the highest amounts of molybdenum, 2012-2017

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Lake Gibson Estates	Lakeland, FL	8 of 8	92.5 ppb	1,897
City of California City	California City, CA	24 of 24	84.9 ppb	14,212
Hillview Water Company-oakhurst/sierra Lakes*	Oakhurst, CA	12 of 12	83.1 ppb	2,805
Broadview Terrace Mutual Water Company	Oakhurst, CA	12 of 12	83.1 ppb	510
Sheridan Water Works	Sheridan, IN	4 of 4	62.3 ppb	2,665
Grandwood Park Subdivision	Libertyville, IL	5 of 5	59.9 ppb	5,639
Arden Shores Estates Subdivision	Libertyville, IL	1 of 1	55.5 ppb	66
Bluffs Basin Utility Company	Marion, IN	4 of 4	55.0 ppb	36
Marion City Water Works*	Marion, IN	4 of 4	55.0 ppb	28,327
Owensboro Municipal Utilities*	Owensboro, KY	6 of 6	54.6 ppb	67,691
City of Punta Gorda	Punta Gorda, FL	2 of 8	47.4 ppb	29,561
Cairo	Cairo, GA	4 of 4	45.8 ppb	9,274
Ocud/magnolia Woods Consecutive Water System	Ocoee, FL	12 of 12	45.3 ppb	347
Winter Garden Water Department*	Winter Garden, FL	12 of 12	45.3 ppb	69,738
Ocud/partlow Acres(consec.)	Winter Garden, FL	12 of 12	45.3 ppb	102
Wapakoneta City	Wapakoneta, OH	6 of 6	43.0 ppb	10,867
Clermont East Water System	Clermont, FL	8 of 8	42.1 ppb	33,162
S E Daviess County Water District*	Owensboro, KY	8 of 8	41.1 ppb	18,827
Whitesville Water Works	Whitesville, KY	8 of 8	41.1 ppb	3,672
E Daviess County Water Assoc Inc*	Knottsville, KY	4 of 4	39.0 ppb	11,997
US Army Fort Irwin	Fort Irwin, CA	8 of 8	35.9 ppb	16,000
City of Mount Dora	Mount Dora, FL	4 of 4	34.0 ppb	29,996
Lindenhurst	Lindenhurst, IL	12 of 12	33.2 ppb	14,632
Lompoc Water Utility Division	Lompoc, CA	12 of 12	33.0 ppb	39,846
St Marys City	St. Marys, OH	4 of 4	30.2 ppb	10,001
Clarks Hill Water Works	Clarks Hill, IN	2 of 2	30.0 ppb	660
Highland Lake Subdivision	Libertyville, IL	2 of 2	28.9 ppb	303
Southwest Licking Community Water	Etna, OH	4 of 4	28.3 ppb	12,088
Buckingham	Buckingham, IL	2 of 2	28.0 ppb	300
Groveland Water Department	Groveland, FL	12 of 12	27.6 ppb	12,243
City of Auburndale	Auburndale, FL	12 of 12	25.9 ppb	30,761
Cws - Lakeland	San Jose, CA	26 of 26	25.6 ppb	686
Southwest/Polk County Utility	Lakeland, FL	17 of 20	25.1 ppb	39,209
Huntington Water Department	Huntington, IN	4 of 4	24.8 ppb	17,300
Lawrenceville	Lawrenceville, GA	8 of 12	23.6 ppb	30,000
City of Greenfield	Greenfield, CA	6 of 6	23.3 ppb	17,898
Minburn Waterworks	Minburn, IA	4 of 4	23.1 ppb	365
Xenia Rural Water District (woodward)*	Bouton, IA	4 of 4	23.1 ppb	3,350
Rockland Mobile Home Park	Lake Bluff, IL	4 of 4	22.8 ppb	74
Richton Park	Richton Park, IL	8 of 8	22.7 ppb	12,901
Brook Water Utility*	Brook, IN	8 of 8	22.4 ppb	986
Newton County Regional Water & Sewer	Morocco, IN	8 of 8	22.4 ppb	130
Lake Utility Services Inc North	Clermont, FL	23 of 23	22.3 ppb	21,518
Mission Springs WD	Desert Hot Springs, CA	22 of 22	22.1 ppb	34,626
Suburban Water Systems - La Mirada	Covina, CA	16 of 16	22.1 ppb	56,953
Meadowbrook Farm	Patterson, NY	4 of 4	21.8 ppb	55
Paso Robles Water Department	Paso Robles, CA	36 of 37	21.5 ppb	30,500
Bremen Water Department	Bremen, IN	4 of 4	21.2 ppb	4,516
Windermere Community	Pflugerville, TX	24 of 24	20.0 ppb	20,091
Nipomo Comm. Services District	Nipomo, CA	19 of 20	19.7 ppb	10,867

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

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
City of California City	California City, CA	24 of 24	84.9 ppb	14,212
Marion City Water Works*	Marion, IN	4 of 4	55.0 ppb	28,327
Owensboro Municipal Utilities*	Owensboro, KY	6 of 6	54.6 ppb	67,691
City of Punta Gorda	Punta Gorda, FL	2 of 8	47.4 ppb	29,561
Winter Garden Water Department*	Winter Garden, FL	12 of 12	45.3 ppb	69,738
Wapakoneta City	Wapakoneta, OH	6 of 6	43.0 ppb	10,867
Clermont East Water System	Clermont, FL	8 of 8	42.1 ppb	33,162
S E Daviess County Water District*	Owensboro, KY	8 of 8	41.1 ppb	18,827
E Daviess County Water Assoc Inc*	Knottsville, KY	4 of 4	39.0 ppb	11,997
US Army Fort Irwin	Fort Irwin, CA	8 of 8	35.9 ppb	16,000
City of Mount Dora	Mount Dora, FL	4 of 4	34.0 ppb	29,996
Lindenhurst	Lindenhurst, IL	12 of 12	33.2 ppb	14,632
Lompoc Water Utility Division	Lompoc, CA	12 of 12	33.0 ppb	39,846
St Marys City	St. Marys, OH	4 of 4	30.2 ppb	10,001
Southwest Licking Community Water	Etna, OH	4 of 4	28.3 ppb	12,088
Groveland Water Department	Groveland, FL	12 of 12	27.6 ppb	12,243
City of Auburndale	Auburndale, FL	12 of 12	25.9 ppb	30,761
Southwest/Polk County Utility	Lakeland, FL	17 of 20	25.1 ppb	39,209
Huntington Water Department	Huntington, IN	4 of 4	24.8 ppb	17,300
Lawrenceville	Lawrenceville, GA	8 of 12	23.6 ppb	30,000
City of Greenfield	Greenfield, CA	6 of 6	23.3 ppb	17,898
Richton Park	Richton Park, IL	8 of 8	22.7 ppb	12,901
Lake Utility Services Inc North	Clermont, FL	23 of 23	22.3 ppb	21,518
Mission Springs WD	Desert Hot Springs, CA	22 of 22	22.1 ppb	34,626
Suburban Water Systems - La Mirada	Covina, CA	16 of 16	22.1 ppb	56,953
Paso Robles Water Department	Paso Robles, CA	36 of 37	21.5 ppb	30,500
Windermere Community	Pflugerville, TX	24 of 24	20.0 ppb	20,091
Nipomo Comm. Services District	Nipomo, CA	19 of 20	19.7 ppb	10,867
Auburn Water Department	Auburn, IN	8 of 8	18.8 ppb	12,800
Antioch	Antioch, IL	16 of 16	18.5 ppb	13,724
Fairfield County Utilities PWS	Carroll, OH	4 of 4	17.9 ppb	12,882
West Daviess County Water District*	Owensboro, KY	4 of 4	17.8 ppb	13,264
City of Hays*	Hays, KS	4 of 4	17.5 ppb	21,044
Plainfield Water Works*	Plainfield, IN	8 of 8	17.5 ppb	18,857
City of Gillette*	Gillette, WY	7 of 7	17.0 ppb	30,121
Moultrie	Moultrie, GA	6 of 6	16.8 ppb	14,361
Marina Coast Water District	Marina, CA	16 of 16	16.4 ppb	31,218
Circleville City PWS	Circleville, OH	4 of 4	16.3 ppb	13,444
Coachella Water Authority	Coachella, CA	24 of 24	16.1 ppb	41,904
Military Highway WSC - Progreso	Progreso, TX	8 of 8	16.0 ppb	11,136
Grover Beach Water Department	Grover Beach, CA	16 of 16	15.9 ppb	13,156
Northwest	Lakeland, FL	21 of 23	15.6 ppb	27,904
City of Alamo	Alamo, TX	8 of 8	15.5 ppb	18,363
Lebanon Utilities	Lebanon, IN	8 of 8	15.3 ppb	16,098
City of Eustis	Eustis, FL	12 of 12	15.3 ppb	34,349
City of Mercedes*	Mercedes, TX	8 of 8	14.7 ppb	15,700
Park Forest	Park Forest, IL	4 of 4	14.3 ppb	23,462
Arvin Community Services District	Arvin, CA	11 of 11	14.1 ppb	19,000
Cape Girardeau	Cape Girardeau, MO	8 of 8	13.9 ppb	39,628
South Tahoe PUD - Main*	South Lake Tahoe, CA	52 of 56	13.9 ppb	29,500