Picloram
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Picloram is a herbicide that in studies of laboratory animals has been linked with reduced testicular size and damage to the liver and thyroid.
2017-2019:
29
states detected
151
utilities detected
1.1 million
people served
0
states over health guideline
0
utilities over health guideline
0
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for picloram
Harm to the liver
Harm to the kidney
Change to the reproductive system
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 166 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 166 ppb for picloram 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 internal organs.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 500 ppb
The legal limit for picloram, established in 1992, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting picloram in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| Florida | 15 | 407,740 | |
| Kansas | 8 | 145,400 | |
| New York | 3 | 105,709 | |
| Colorado | 8 | 96,130 | |
| Minnesota | 5 | 53,435 | |
| Iowa | 31 | 49,598 | |
| New Mexico | 1 | 42,976 | |
| California | 1 | 40,185 | |
| Arkansas | 2 | 30,695 | |
| Arizona | 3 | 19,559 | |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 18,223 | |
| Nevada | 2 | 13,800 | |
| Texas | 12 | 13,517 | |
| Washington | 14 | 10,894 | |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 10,619 | |
| Louisiana | 5 | 8,919 | |
| Missouri | 1 | 7,900 | |
| West Virginia | 2 | 7,112 | |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 3,604 | |
| North Dakota | 4 | 1,650 | |
| Idaho | 8 | 1,571 | |
| Indiana | 3 | 1,345 | |
| Georgia | 2 | 895 | |
| Montana | 5 | 881 | |
| Tennessee | 1 | 806 | |
| Hawaii | 1 | 400 | |
| Connecticut | 1 | 312 | |
| Delaware | 1 | 230 | |
| Michigan | 1 | 50 | |
Filtering technologies that reduce picloram
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of picloram, 2017-2019
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haxtun, Town of | Haxtun, CO | 9 of 24 | 5.08 ppb | 952 |
| Juliaetta, City of | Juliaetta, ID | 11 of 14 | 4.74 ppb | 609 |
| Harrisonville PWS | Harrisonville, MO | 1 of 6 | 3.27 ppb | 7,900 |
| Timber Creek LLC | Warsaw, IN | 1 of 2 | 3.25 ppb | 110 |
| Merrywood Mobile Home Park | Pierceton, IN | 1 of 2 | 1.50 ppb | 210 |
| Miller Colony | Choteau, MT | 3 of 11 | 1.09 ppb | 84 |
| Lexington* | Lexington, GA | 10 of 16 | 0.893 ppb | 814 |
| Meadow Lakes Subdivision | Crawford, GA | 10 of 16 | 0.893 ppb | 81 |
| Live Oak WTP | Live Oak, FL | 1 of 8 | 0.763 ppb | 6,850 |
| Waterville Town Of | Waterville, WA | 4 of 5 | 0.740 ppb | 1,175 |
| Red Rock Water Llc | Troy, ID | 6 of 7 | 0.629 ppb | 60 |
| Sunset Bay S/d | Denver, NC | 3 of 6 | 0.530 ppb | 61 |
| Tamarack Woods Homeowners Association Lakeside | Kalispell, MT | 1 of 2 | 0.500 ppb | 180 |
| Oto Water Supply | Oto, IA | 5 of 7 | 0.471 ppb | 108 |
| Golden Estates Homeowners Association | Helena, MT | 4 of 6 | 0.468 ppb | 400 |
| Emanuel Heights Water System | Tonasket, WA | 3 of 4 | 0.462 ppb | 60 |
| Seibert, Town of | Seibert, CO | 7 of 8 | 0.461 ppb | 296 |
| Warwick, City of | Warwick, ND | 11 of 11 | 0.453 ppb | 65 |
| Royal Oaks Apartments | Fredericksburg, TX | 5 of 7 | 0.352 ppb | 57 |
| Ruth Water District | Mcgill, NV | 8 of 16 | 0.321 ppb | 470 |
| Ely Municipal Water Department* | Ely, NV | 8 of 16 | 0.321 ppb | 5,000 |
| Davenport Water Division | Davenport, WA | 2 of 5 | 0.306 ppb | 1,720 |
| Villisca Municipal Water Department | Villisca, IA | 1 of 2 | 0.300 ppb | 1,252 |
| Fischers Garden Mobile Home Park | Sauk Rapids, MN | 4 of 8 | 0.273 ppb | 220 |
| Western Pines Apartments | Tecumseh, MI | 2 of 2 | 0.229 ppb | 50 |
| Maysville | Maysville, OK | 1 of 2 | 0.215 ppb | 1,212 |
| Lignite, City of | Lignite, ND | 9 of 11 | 0.212 ppb | 155 |
| Creston Water Supply* | Creston, IA | 1 of 4 | 0.200 ppb | 7,834 |
| SIRWA #2 (Creston)* | Creston, IA | 1 of 4 | 0.200 ppb | 18,510 |
| Rockport Colony | Pendroy, MT | 2 of 7 | 0.174 ppb | 92 |
| Farnsworth Water Supply Corporation | Farnsworth, TX | 1 of 2 | 0.168 ppb | 100 |
| Almira Water System | Almira, WA | 3 of 3 | 0.160 ppb | 302 |
| Homestead Park | Pittsford, DE | 1 of 2 | 0.150 ppb | 230 |
| Mountain Lake | Mountain Lake, MN | 1 of 2 | 0.150 ppb | 2,100 |
| Wadena Water System | Wadena, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.143 ppb | 262 |
| Pomeroy City Of | Pomeroy, WA | 3 of 9 | 0.140 ppb | 1,395 |
| Woodville | Shelley, ID | 1 of 1 | 0.138 ppb | 225 |
| Hackensack | Hackensack, MN | 2 of 3 | 0.137 ppb | 313 |
| City of Wolfforth | Wolfforth, TX | 1 of 7 | 0.135 ppb | 3,600 |
| Maxbass, City of | Maxbass, ND | 8 of 9 | 0.134 ppb | 84 |
| Booneville* | Booneville, AR | 3 of 6 | 0.130 ppb | 4,108 |
| Magazine* | Magazine, AR | 3 of 6 | 0.130 ppb | 1,000 |
| South Logan County | Booneville, AR | 3 of 6 | 0.130 ppb | 1,783 |
| Electric City City Of* | Electric City, WA | 3 of 4 | 0.129 ppb | 1,001 |
| Grand Coulee Water Department City Of | Grand Coulee, WA | 3 of 4 | 0.129 ppb | 926 |
| Genoa, Town of | Evans, CO | 5 of 12 | 0.125 ppb | 145 |
| Eagles Watch Homeowners Association | Walden, CO | 5 of 7 | 0.114 ppb | 83 |
| Macbee Special Utility District Jackson | Wills Point, TX | 1 of 2 | 0.106 ppb | 564 |
| City of Lawn | Lawn, TX | 3 of 7 | 0.1000 ppb | 780 |
| Seelyville Water Works | Brazil, IN | 2 of 5 | 0.1000 ppb | 7,500 |
* 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 Picloram, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIRWA #2 (Creston)* | Creston, IA | 1 of 4 | 0.200 ppb | 18,510 |
| Cucamonga Valley Water District* | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 1 of 17 | 0.0824 ppb | 190,308 |
| UC - Davis | Davis, CA | 1 of 16 | 0.0688 ppb | 40,185 |
| Canyon Municipal Water System | Canyon, TX | 1 of 6 | 0.0608 ppb | 14,500 |
| Texarkana Water Utilities* | Texarkana, AR | 1 of 7 | 0.0343 ppb | 30,015 |
| Beauregard Water Authority | Opelika, AL | 1 of 10 | 0.0209 ppb | 11,178 |
| Westchester County WD #2* | Somers, NY | 1 of 8 | 0.0175 ppb | 36,000 |
| City of Port Lavaca* | Port Lavaca, TX | 1 of 7 | 0.0143 ppb | 12,248 |
| City of Hallandale Beach | Hallandale Beach, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.0134 ppb | 40,000 |
| Toho Water Authority - Poinciana System | Kissimmee, FL | 1 of 9 | 0.0104 ppb | 69,447 |
| Epcor Water New Mexico Inc Clovis | Clovis, NM | 3 of 45 | 0.01000 ppb | 42,976 |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS | 1 of 21 | 0.00952 ppb | 35,000 |
| City of Lawrence* | Lawrence, KS | 1 of 21 | 0.00952 ppb | 97,286 |
| McAlester PWA* | Mcalester, OK | 1 of 9 | 0.00889 ppb | 18,206 |
| City of Horseshoe Bay* | Horseshoe Bay, TX | 1 of 14 | 0.00714 ppb | 10,725 |
| Verona Waterworks | Verona, WI | 1 of 5 | 0.00600 ppb | 10,619 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 16 | 0.00588 ppb | 127,700 |
| City of The Dalles | The Dalles, OR | 1 of 19 | 0.00526 ppb | 12,494 |
| Palm Beach County Water Utilities* | West Palm Beach, FL | 1 of 23 | 0.00409 ppb | 597,649 |
| Edina | Edina, MN | 1 of 39 | 0.00308 ppb | 49,050 |
| Gateway Services District | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 25 | 0.00304 ppb | 12,717 |
| Lee County Utilities* | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 25 | 0.00304 ppb | 251,502 |
| Fort Carson Army Base | Fort Carson, CO | 1 of 35 | 0.00286 ppb | 42,000 |
| US Air Force Academy | Usaf Academy, CO | 1 of 35 | 0.00286 ppb | 16,876 |
| Colorado Springs Utilities* | Colorado Springs, CO | 1 of 35 | 0.00286 ppb | 450,461 |
| Bermuda Water Company Inc* | Fort Mohave, AZ | 1 of 38 | 0.00263 ppb | 18,000 |
| Castle Rock* | Castle Rock, CO | 1 of 39 | 0.00256 ppb | 92,372 |
* 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 Picloram, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.