Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)

Tahoe Keys Water Company

Dry cleaning chemical tetrachloroethylene, or perc, can cause cancer. It pollutes soil and groundwater due to emissions from dry cleaning facilities, and automotive, metalworking and other industries. Read More.

The EPA considers tetrachloroethylene a likely human carcinogen. It has been linked with increased incidence of lung, breast and colon cancers. Tetrachloroethylene also damages the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.06 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 80 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

148

Samples

18

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

79

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20183.22 ppb5023ND - 24.0 ppb
20192.54 ppb216ND - 19.0 ppb
20202.86 ppb2815ND - 20.0 ppb
20212.09 ppb98ND - 2.80 ppb
20225.57 ppb1914ND - 25.0 ppb
20232.76 ppb2113ND - 25.0 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.06 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.06 ppb for tetrachloroethylene 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 cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 5 ppb

The legal limit for tetrachloroethylene, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to tetrachloroethylene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-05-15CA0910015_002_002-201805150920ND
2018-05-15CA0910015_002_002-201805150930ND
2018-05-15CA0910015_002_002-20180515091018.0 ppb
2018-05-22CA0910015_002_002-201805220920ND
2018-05-22CA0910015_002_002-201805220930ND
2018-05-29CA0910015_002_002-201805290930ND
2018-05-29CA0910015_002_002-201805290920ND
2018-06-05CA0910015_002_002-201806050920ND
2018-06-05CA0910015_002_002-201806050930ND
2018-06-05CA0910015_002_002-20180605091019.0 ppb
2018-06-12CA0910015_002_002-201806120930ND
2018-06-12CA0910015_002_002-201806120920ND
2018-06-19CA0910015_002_002-2018061909200.580 ppb
2018-06-19CA0910015_002_002-201806190930ND
2018-06-26CA0910015_002_002-2018062609200.610 ppb
2018-06-26CA0910015_002_002-201806260930ND
2018-07-05CA0910015_002_002-2018070509200.630 ppb
2018-07-05CA0910015_002_002-201807050930ND
2018-07-05CA0910015_002_002-20180705091024.0 ppb
2018-07-10CA0910015_002_002-201807100930ND
2018-07-19CA0910015_002_002-2018071909200.720 ppb
2018-07-19CA0910015_002_002-201807190930ND
2018-07-24CA0910015_002_002-2018072409200.900 ppb
2018-07-24CA0910015_002_002-201807240930ND
2018-08-02CA0910015_002_002-2018080209300.790 ppb
2018-08-02CA0910015_002_002-201808020920ND
2018-08-07CA0910015_002_002-20180807091015.0 ppb
2018-08-07CA0910015_002_002-2018080709201.000 ppb
2018-08-07CA0910015_002_002-201808070930ND
2018-08-14CA0910015_002_002-201808140930ND
2018-08-14CA0910015_002_002-2018081409200.840 ppb
2018-08-29CA0910015_002_002-201808290930ND
2018-08-29CA0910015_002_002-2018082909201.20 ppb
2018-09-06CA0910015_002_002-20180906091014.0 ppb
2018-09-06CA0910015_002_002-2018090609201.10 ppb
2018-09-11CA0910015_002_002-201809110930ND
2018-09-11CA0910015_002_002-2018091109201.60 ppb
2018-09-18CA0910015_002_002-201809180930ND
2018-09-18CA0910015_002_002-2018091809201.60 ppb
2018-09-25CA0910015_002_002-201809250930ND
2018-09-25CA0910015_002_002-2018092509201.50 ppb
2018-10-02CA0910015_002_002-201810020930ND
2018-10-02CA0910015_002_002-20181002091014.0 ppb
2018-10-02CA0910015_002_002-2018100209201.000 ppb
2018-10-09CA0910015_002_002-2018100909201.10 ppb
2018-10-09CA0910015_002_002-201810090930ND
2018-11-27CA0910015_002_002-201811270920ND
2018-11-27CA0910015_002_002-20181127091022.0 ppb
2018-11-27CA0910015_002_002-201811270930ND
2018-12-11CA0910015_002_002-20181211091020.0 ppb
2019-01-08CA0910015_002_002-20190108091019.0 ppb
2019-01-08CA0910015_006_006-201901080910ND
2019-01-22CA0910015_001_001-2019012209102.10 ppb
2019-05-09CA0910015_002_002-201905090910ND
2019-05-09CA0910015_006_006-201905090910ND
2019-05-14CA0910015_002_002-201905140920ND
2019-05-14CA0910015_006_006-201905140930ND
2019-05-28CA0910015_002_002-201905280920ND
2019-06-11CA0910015_002_002-201906110920ND
2019-06-18CA0910015_002_002-201906180920ND
2019-06-18CA0910015_006_006-201906180930ND
2019-07-02CA0910015_002_002-20190702091015.0 ppb
2019-07-02CA0910015_006_006-201907020910ND
2019-07-16CA0910015_002_002-20190716091014.0 ppb
2019-07-16CA0910015_006_006-201907160940ND
2019-07-23CA0910015_002_002-201907230920ND
2019-07-23CA0910015_006_006-201907230930ND
2019-07-30CA0910015_002_002-2019073009200.750 ppb
2019-07-30CA0910015_006_006-201907300930ND
2019-08-13CA0910015_006_006-201908131415ND
2019-08-20CA0910015_001_001-2019082009102.50 ppb
2020-05-12CA0910015_006_006-202005120910ND
2020-05-19CA0910015_002_002-2020051909200.920 ppb
2020-05-19CA0910015_006_006-202005190930ND
2020-05-26CA0910015_002_002-2020052609201.30 ppb
2020-05-26CA0910015_006_006-202005260930ND
2020-06-02CA0910015_006_006-202006020910ND
2020-06-16CA0910015_006_006-202006160930ND
2020-06-16CA0910015_002_002-2020061609201.90 ppb
2020-06-23CA0910015_002_002-2020062309201.70 ppb
2020-06-23CA0910015_006_006-202006230940ND
2020-07-07CA0910015_002_002-20200707091020.0 ppb
2020-07-07CA0910015_006_006-2020070709102.70 ppb
2020-07-14CA0910015_006_006-202007140930ND
2020-07-14CA0910015_002_002-2020071409202.80 ppb
2020-07-21CA0910015_006_006-202007210930ND
2020-07-21CA0910015_002_002-2020072109203.20 ppb
2020-07-28CA0910015_002_002-2020072809203.10 ppb
2020-07-28CA0910015_006_006-202007280930ND
2020-08-04CA0910015_006_006-2020080409102.80 ppb
2020-08-04CA0910015_002_002-20200804091011.0 ppb
2020-08-11CA0910015_006_006-2020081109203.10 ppb
2020-08-11CA0910015_006_006-202008110930ND
2020-09-15CA0910015_006_006-202009150930ND
2020-09-15CA0910015_002_002-2020091509203.60 ppb
2020-09-22CA0910015_002_002-2020092209203.90 ppb
2020-09-22CA0910015_006_006-202009220930ND
2020-10-06CA0910015_002_002-20201006091018.0 ppb
2020-10-06CA0910015_006_006-202010060910ND
2021-01-12CA0910015_001_001-2021011208302.20 ppb
2021-01-12CA0910015_001_001-2021011208452.10 ppb
2021-01-19CA0910015_003_003-202101190830ND
2021-02-16CA0910015_001_001-2021021608452.40 ppb
2021-02-23CA0910015_001_001-2021022308452.60 ppb
2021-08-10CA0910015_001_001-2021081009002.50 ppb
2021-08-17CA0910015_001_001-2021081709002.20 ppb
2021-10-12CA0910015_001_001-2021101209002.00 ppb
2021-10-19CA0910015_001_001-2021101909002.80 ppb
2022-02-08CA0910015_001_001-2022020809302.60 ppb
2022-02-16CA0910015_003_003-202202161000ND
2022-02-16CA0910015_001_001-2022021611002.40 ppb
2022-02-16CA0910015_002_002-20220216120024.0 ppb
2022-03-08CA0910015_001_001-2022030809002.60 ppb
2022-04-12CA0910015_001_001-2022041209002.70 ppb
2022-05-06CA0910015_002_002-202205061100ND
2022-05-06CA0910015_002_002-20220506110025.0 ppb
2022-05-17CA0910015_001_001-2022051707452.00 ppb
2022-06-07CA0910015_001_001-2022060709453.00 ppb
2022-06-07CA0910015_010_010-202206070925ND
2022-08-23CA0910015_001_001-2022082311003.40 ppb
2022-09-13CA0910015_001_001-2022091310402.80 ppb
2022-09-13CA0910015_002_002-20220913101525.0 ppb
2022-10-11CA0910015_001_001-2022101110303.10 ppb
2022-11-09CA0910015_001_001-2022110913452.40 ppb
2022-11-09CA0910015_003_003-202211091315ND
2022-11-18CA0910015_002_002-202211180700ND
2022-12-30CA0910015_001_001-2022123002104.90 ppb
2023-01-11CA0910015_001_001-2023011109351.50 ppb
2023-02-07CA0910015_001_001-2023020710003.10 ppb
2023-02-21CA0910015_002_002-202302210950ND
2023-03-21CA0910015_001_001-2023032110503.30 ppb
2023-03-21CA0910015_007_007-202303210900ND
2023-04-11CA0910015_001_001-2023041111101.20 ppb
2023-04-11CA0910015_007_007-202304111030ND
2023-05-09CA0910015_001_001-2023050910301.50 ppb
2023-06-13CA0910015_001_001-2023061308532.80 ppb
2023-06-13CA0910015_002_002-20230613084225.0 ppb
2023-07-11CA0910015_001_001-2023071109003.10 ppb
2023-08-08CA0910015_001_001-2023080809113.30 ppb
2023-08-08CA0910015_007_007-202308080952ND
2023-09-12CA0910015_007_007-202309120949ND
2023-09-12CA0910015_001_001-2023091209123.60 ppb
2023-10-12CA0910015_001_001-2023101209303.80 ppb
2023-10-12CA0910015_007_007-202310121045ND
2023-11-14CA0910015_001_001-2023111410151.80 ppb
2023-11-14CA0910015_007_007-202311140915ND
2023-12-12CA0910015_007_007-202312121130ND
2023-12-12CA0910015_001_001-2023121208304.00 ppb