Dibromoacetic acid

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Dibromoacetic acid, one of the group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards, is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Haloacetic acids and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

2015-2017:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

states detected

14,505

utilities detected

154 million

people served

states over health guideline

14,360

utilities over health guideline

145 million

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for dibromoacetic acid

Cancer

Change to fetal growth and development

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.04 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.04 ppb for dibromoacetic acid was defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG and represents a on-in-a-million lifetime cancer risk level. This health guideline protects against cancer.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting dibromoacetic acid in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		925	30,091,644			938	31,301,064
Texas		2,834	25,052,795			2,837	25,090,998
Illinois		912	10,977,163			916	11,190,180
Ohio		890	9,727,407			893	9,830,701
New Jersey		338	7,698,006			351	8,012,626
North Carolina		460	5,270,327			468	6,121,724
New York		826	5,224,028			835	5,613,492
Virginia		172	3,776,115			175	4,277,784
Louisiana		758	3,947,923			767	4,058,558
Wisconsin		448	3,392,675			472	3,680,555
Oklahoma		603	3,165,812			603	3,165,812
Missouri		328	3,088,907			333	3,117,209
South Carolina		197	2,403,571			202	3,053,293
Massachusetts		146	2,867,717			149	3,000,608
Colorado		348	2,764,748			349	2,806,748
Pennsylvania		236	2,731,352			236	2,793,528
Georgia		101	1,749,635			111	2,685,107
Nevada		48	2,486,810			48	2,486,810
Iowa		506	1,967,074			506	1,967,074
Washington		294	1,020,029			300	1,964,291
Kansas		771	1,832,068			772	1,832,614
New Mexico		279	1,691,631			292	1,749,142
Connecticut		121	1,543,752			124	1,687,596
Minnesota		190	1,390,284			190	1,390,284
Arkansas		284	1,149,278			292	1,385,249
Utah		85	1,280,378			86	1,316,378
Nebraska		126	1,270,093			126	1,270,093
Hawaii		45	314,182			49	1,186,165
West Virginia		181	948,111			182	952,767
Mississippi		208	881,065			208	881,065
Delaware		38	741,091			41	812,541
District Of Columbia		4	664,572			4	664,572
North Dakota		165	474,813			167	501,239
Montana		193	454,450			193	489,650
Rhode Island		17	256,845			18	345,625
Wyoming		149	285,737			140	286,372
New Hampshire		49	266,205			49	266,205
Kentucky		6	167,849			4	72,198
Idaho		4	70,676			4	70,676
Alaska		41	47,926			41	47,926
Maryland		13	44,229			13	44,229
Michigan		1	33,816			1	33,816
Alabama		1	18,000			1	18,000
Maine		11	7,181			11	7,181
Vermont		6	5,761			6	5,761
South Dakota		2	763			2	763

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce dibromoacetic acid

Utilities with the highest amounts of dibromoacetic acid, 2015-2017

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Country Estates Water System South	West Monroe, LA	4 of 4	57.1 ppb	600
Town of Plain Dealing Water System	Plain Dealing, LA	48 of 48	37.9 ppb	2,733
Bianchi Flowers Inc.	Pescadero, CA	5 of 7	37.1 ppb	65
Litroe Water System	Marion, LA	48 of 48	34.1 ppb	369
Pleasant Hills-crossroads Water Systems	Joyce, LA	52 of 52	33.8 ppb	840
Wards Chapel Water System	Farmerville, LA	44 of 44	32.5 ppb	1,350
Concord Water System	Marion, LA	48 of 48	29.4 ppb	426
Mountain Park Public Works Authority	Mountain Park, OK	12 of 12	27.0 ppb	473
Millersview-doole Water Supply Corporation*	Millersview, TX	24 of 24	26.0 ppb	3,987
Holmesville Water System*	Downsville, LA	48 of 48	25.9 ppb	2,310
The Trails S/d	Chapel Hill, NC	1 of 2	25.5 ppb	246
Linville-haile Water System	Marion, LA	46 of 48	25.1 ppb	1,635
Tx Airstream Harbor Water*	Zavalla, TX	12 of 12	24.9 ppb	174
Rowena Water Supply Corporation	Rowena, TX	12 of 12	24.2 ppb	480
Turtle Cove Lot Owners Association	Freeport, TX	12 of 12	23.7 ppb	66
Coke County Water Supply Corporation	Robert Lee, TX	22 of 24	23.5 ppb	523
City of Paint Rock	Paint Rock, TX	12 of 12	23.3 ppb	247
Town of Friars Point	Friars Point, MS	1 of 1	23.0 ppb	1,200
Country Estates Water System North	West Monroe, LA	34 of 38	22.8 ppb	597
Indiahoma Public Works Authority	Indiahoma, OK	11 of 11	22.2 ppb	350
Panoramic Mesa Subdivision	Silt, CO	5 of 5	21.7 ppb	45
Union Parish Waterworks District 1	Farmerville, LA	38 of 40	21.6 ppb	1,626
Nueces County WCID 3*	Robstown, TX	47 of 48	21.5 ppb	14,607
Comanche County Rural Water District #4*	Cache, OK	19 of 19	21.1 ppb	3,000
Harper County Rural Water District 2	Anthony, KS	1 of 1	21.0 ppb	174
Jones Mcginty Water System	Jones, LA	48 of 48	20.8 ppb	801
City of Lueders	Lueders, TX	22 of 24	20.8 ppb	525
La Playa Subdivision Water System	Kirbyville, TX	6 of 6	20.6 ppb	59
Sardis Water System	Gilbert, LA	48 of 48	20.4 ppb	1,404
Sun N Fun Association	Zavalla, TX	12 of 12	20.4 ppb	77
Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park	Dundee, NY	2 of 2	20.0 ppb	39
Kensington, City of	Kensington, KS	1 of 1	20.0 ppb	461
Merino, Town of	Fort Collins, CO	10 of 10	19.9 ppb	235
Ericksdahl Water Supply Corporation	Stamford, TX	24 of 24	19.8 ppb	275
River Acres Water Supply Corporation	Robstown, TX	16 of 16	19.8 ppb	2,700
Norton, City of	Norton, KS	12 of 12	19.8 ppb	2,846
Marion Water System	Marion, LA	48 of 48	19.6 ppb	1,146
Village of Calvin Water System	Calvin, LA	46 of 48	19.3 ppb	591
Rocky Branch Water System	Farmerville, LA	48 of 48	19.2 ppb	1,410
Eagle Cove Water Association	Friday Harbor, WA	3 of 3	19.0 ppb	60
City of Rio Hondo	Rio Hondo, TX	17 of 17	19.0 ppb	2,400
Walnut Ridge Estates Water System	Zavalla, TX	11 of 12	18.8 ppb	178
Village of Surfside Beach	Freeport, TX	20 of 24	18.5 ppb	3,477
City of Graford	Graford, TX	16 of 17	18.3 ppb	584
Pappas & Company (mendota)	Mendota, CA	11 of 12	18.2 ppb	25
Point Wilhite Ws*	Downsville, LA	56 of 62	18.1 ppb	1,950
Maysville Regional Water	White Cottage, OH	24 of 24	18.1 ppb	6,540
Coast Springs - Cal. Water Service (puc)	San Jose, CA	4 of 4	18.0 ppb	210
Pappas & Company (coalinga)	Mendota, CA	11 of 12	17.5 ppb	25
San Luis Hills	Los Banos, CA	13 of 13	17.4 ppb	300

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

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Nueces County WCID 3*	Robstown, TX	47 of 48	21.5 ppb	14,607
City of Abilene*	Abilene, TX	96 of 96	14.5 ppb	123,886
Southwest Ouachita Waterworks Inc.	West Monroe, LA	40 of 40	14.4 ppb	10,092
Agua SUD	Mission, TX	48 of 48	14.2 ppb	46,950
City of Mineral Wells*	Mineral Wells, TX	41 of 48	14.1 ppb	14,826
Military Highway WSC - Las Rusias WTP	Progreso, TX	42 of 42	13.9 ppb	14,292
City of San Angelo*	San Angelo, TX	96 of 96	13.7 ppb	100,450
City of Beeville*	Beeville, TX	48 of 48	13.0 ppb	15,039
Brownville Water System	West Monroe, LA	28 of 36	12.5 ppb	10,872
City of Raymondville	Raymondville, TX	48 of 48	12.4 ppb	11,288
Beaver Falls Municipal Authority*	Beaver Falls, PA	4 of 4	12.3 ppb	50,000
City of Lemoore	Lemoore, CA	47 of 48	12.1 ppb	24,945
City of Edinburg	Edinburg, TX	96 of 96	12.0 ppb	77,100
Hudson Water Supply Corporation	Lufkin, TX	20 of 20	11.7 ppb	10,211
Laguna Madre Water District	Port Isabel, TX	48 of 48	11.6 ppb	19,317
City of Rockport*	Rockport, TX	48 of 48	11.4 ppb	26,450
Nueces County WCID 4	Port Aransas, TX	48 of 48	11.1 ppb	11,403
McAllen Public Utility	Mcallen, TX	96 of 96	10.7 ppb	168,909
City of Mercedes*	Mercedes, TX	47 of 48	10.7 ppb	15,700
City of Mission	Mission, TX	48 of 48	10.7 ppb	77,058
City of Donna	Donna, TX	44 of 48	10.6 ppb	16,176
City of Hays*	Hays, KS	48 of 48	10.5 ppb	21,044
Weirton Area Water Board*	Weirton, WV	36 of 36	10.5 ppb	22,694
City of Pharr	Pharr, TX	92 of 96	9.73 ppb	77,320
City of Midland	Midland, TX	76 of 96	9.56 ppb	132,950
West Hwy 80 Ark Road WS	West Monroe, LA	66 of 96	9.53 ppb	13,386
City of San Juan	San Juan, TX	46 of 48	9.45 ppb	30,000
City of Rio Grande City*	Rio Grande City, TX	48 of 48	9.23 ppb	17,901
City of Big Spring*	Big Spring, TX	48 of 48	9.22 ppb	27,282
West Monroe Water System	West Monroe, LA	88 of 96	9.00 ppb	15,930
Lemoore Naval Air Station	Nas Lemoore, CA	58 of 60	8.85 ppb	11,500
City of Weslaco*	Weslaco, TX	48 of 48	8.71 ppb	32,092
City of San Benito	San Benito, TX	47 of 47	8.63 ppb	24,250
General Authority of Franklin*	Franklin, PA	2 of 2	8.50 ppb	10,000
East Rio Hondo WSC*	Rio Hondo, TX	44 of 48	8.41 ppb	21,726
City of Hanford	Hanford, CA	35 of 36	8.40 ppb	55,880
City of Corpus Christi*	Corpus Christi, TX	144 of 144	8.39 ppb	325,733
Coalinga	Coalinga, CA	48 of 48	8.33 ppb	19,362
Zapata County Waterworks SWTP*	Zapata, TX	48 of 48	8.30 ppb	11,625
City of Alamo	Alamo, TX	48 of 48	8.16 ppb	18,363
City of Portland	Portland, TX	48 of 48	8.12 ppb	20,000
Sharyland Water Supply Corporation	Mission, TX	47 of 48	7.85 ppb	54,519
Harlingen Water Works System*	Harlingen, TX	93 of 95	7.81 ppb	85,900
Los Angeles County WW District 4 & 34-Lancaster	Alhambra, CA	68 of 77	7.71 ppb	180,131
Quartz Hill Water District*	Quartz Hill, CA	47 of 48	7.58 ppb	22,000
City of Alice*	Alice, TX	48 of 48	7.49 ppb	25,263
City of Mendota	Mendota, CA	48 of 48	7.48 ppb	11,104
City of Lampasas	Lampasas, TX	24 of 24	7.48 ppb	10,236
City of Junction City*	Junction City, KS	48 of 48	7.42 ppb	24,665
Kempner WSC*	Kempner, TX	47 of 48	7.21 ppb	17,031