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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PFUnA and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

2017-2019:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

4

states detected

39

utilities detected

1.5 million

people served

0

states over health guideline

0

utilities over health guideline

0

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for PFUnA

Cancer

Harm to the immune system

Hormone disruption

Harm to fetal growth and child development

Harm to the liver

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1 ppt

The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppt for PFUnA was defined by EWG as based on studies by Phillipe Grandjean of Harvard University and many other independent researchers who found reduced effectiveness of vaccines and adverse impacts on mammary gland development from exposure to PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS most widely detected in drinking water. This health guideline protects against applies to the entire class of PFCs detected in water.

ppt = parts per trillion

States reporting PFUnA in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
North Carolina34838,135
California3562,217
Rhode Island138,000
New Hampshire125,000
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce PFUnA

carbon filter icon

Activated Carbon

reverse osmosis icon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of PFUnA, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Chapel Ridge S/dCary, NC1 of 15.30 ppt798
Pittsboro, Town of*Pittsboro, NC1 of 15.30 ppt4,401
Tyrrell County WaterColumbia, NC1 of 13.10 ppt3,177
Woodlake Water & Sewer Inc.Hampstead, NC1 of 12.10 ppt1,945
Lillington Water System - VandercroftLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt718
Lillington Water System-riverbluffLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt93
Bragg Communities/ntaFort Bragg, NC1 of 12.10 ppt3,733
Graystone S/dFuquay-varina, NC1 of 12.10 ppt50
East Moore Water District*Carthage, NC1 of 12.10 ppt6,436
Town of Holly SpringsHolly Springs, NC1 of 12.10 ppt38,500
Harnett County Department of Public Utilities*Lillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt101,389
Lillington Water SystemLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt3,883
Angier, Town ofAngier, NC1 of 12.10 ppt7,612
Woodland Run Mobile Home S/dHampstead, NC1 of 12.10 ppt108
Moore County Public Utilities-hidden Lakes S/dCarthage, NC1 of 12.10 ppt165
Linden, Town ofLinden, NC1 of 12.10 ppt1,973
Coats, Town ofCoats, NC1 of 12.10 ppt2,692
Greenevers, Town ofRose Hill, NC1 of 11.40 ppt1,390
Black Mountain, Town ofBlack Mountain, NC1 of 11.30 ppt9,525
Ocean Sands DevelopmentCorolla, NC1 of 11.20 ppt2,600
Southern Outer Banks Water System*Corolla, NC1 of 11.20 ppt7,767
Wallace, Town of*Wallace, NC1 of 11.000 ppt5,825
Teachey, Town ofTeachey, NC1 of 11.000 ppt635
Bolton, Town ofBolton, NC1 of 11.000 ppt750
Stokes County Water & Sewer AuthorityDanbury, NC1 of 30.833 ppt420
Stokesdale, Town ofStokesdale, NC1 of 30.833 ppt1,143
Rocklyn Subdivision Phase 2Raleigh, NC1 of 30.833 ppt89
Yadkin County - East Bend*Yadkinville, NC1 of 30.833 ppt25
Yorktown S/dCharlotte, NC1 of 30.833 ppt272
City of Winston-Salem*Pfafftown, NC1 of 30.833 ppt371,063
Westerly Water DepartmentWesterly, RI2 of 140.321 ppt38,000
Camp Pendleton (South)Camp Pendleton, CA2 of 580.190 ppt39,400
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC1 of 110.109 ppt153,202
City of Fresno*Fresno, CA1 of 580.0620 ppt522,352
Fcsa #39 A&bFresno, CA1 of 580.0620 ppt465
Cabot PreserveMerrimack, NH1 of 2090.00300 ppt955
Merrimack Village District*Merrimack, NH1 of 2090.00300 ppt25,000

* 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 Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) , but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Harnett County Department of Public Utilities*Lillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt101,389
Town of Holly SpringsHolly Springs, NC1 of 12.10 ppt38,500
City of Winston-Salem*Pfafftown, NC1 of 30.833 ppt371,063
Westerly Water DepartmentWesterly, RI2 of 140.321 ppt38,000
Camp Pendleton (South)Camp Pendleton, CA2 of 580.190 ppt39,400
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC1 of 110.109 ppt153,202
City of Fresno*Fresno, CA1 of 580.0620 ppt522,352
Merrimack Village District*Merrimack, NH1 of 2090.00300 ppt25,000

* 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 Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA) , but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.