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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Trichloroethylene

City of South Pasadena

Trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent and common groundwater pollutant, damages the immune system, harms the developing fetus and causes cancer. Read More.

Trichloroethylene was once commonly used to remove grease from metal parts, such as steel pipes and engines, and as a solvent in dry cleaning and carpet cleaning products. Drinking trichloroethylene-contaminated drinking water has been linked with birth defects, leukemia, and liver and kidney damage. Trichloroethylene is highly volatile and can enter indoor air through water in pipes. If trichloroethylene is present, people can inhale it while bathing, washing dishes and doing other household activities that involve water.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

214

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

209

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20141.21 ppb5250ND - 2.00 ppb
20151.27 ppb52520.900 ppb - 1.60 ppb
20161.22 ppb45450.940 ppb - 1.60 ppb
20171.11 ppb51510.700 ppb - 1.50 ppb
20180.854 ppb1411ND - 1.20 ppb
2019N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.4 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.4 ppb for trichloroethylene was defined by the state of Minnesota as health risk limit, the concentration of a contaminant that can be consumed with little or no risk to health. This health guideline protects against harm to the developing fetus and damage to the immune system.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 5 ppb

The legal limit for trichloroethylene, established in 1987, 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 and harm to the developing fetus.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-079590-007-09061.40 ppb
2014-01-149590-007-09421.40 ppb
2014-01-219590-007-09581.40 ppb
2014-01-289590-007-10101.40 ppb
2014-02-049590-007-10101.20 ppb
2014-02-119590-007-09051.10 ppb
2014-02-189590-007-09101.40 ppb
2014-02-259590-007-09591.30 ppb
2014-03-049590-007-09341.50 ppb
2014-03-119590-007-10001.20 ppb
2014-03-189590-007-10000.980 ppb
2014-03-259590-007-09101.40 ppb
2014-04-019590-007-09251.10 ppb
2014-04-089590-007-09331.10 ppb
2014-04-159590-007-09501.20 ppb
2014-04-229590-007-10101.80 ppb
2014-04-299590-007-10001.10 ppb
2014-05-069590-007-09171.10 ppb
2014-05-139590-007-09101.40 ppb
2014-05-209590-007-10002.00 ppb
2014-05-279590-007-09351.10 ppb
2014-06-039590-007-09571.30 ppb
2014-06-109590-007-09421.20 ppb
2014-06-179590-007-09201.40 ppb
2014-06-249590-007-09321.20 ppb
2014-07-019590-007-1009ND
2014-07-089590-007-1000ND
2014-07-159590-007-10301.70 ppb
2014-07-229590-007-10051.30 ppb
2014-07-299590-007-09151.10 ppb
2014-08-059590-007-09021.20 ppb
2014-08-129590-007-09561.40 ppb
2014-08-199590-007-10051.20 ppb
2014-08-269590-007-10051.30 ppb
2014-09-029590-007-10251.10 ppb
2014-09-099590-007-09161.50 ppb
2014-09-169590-007-09071.50 ppb
2014-09-239590-007-10000.760 ppb
2014-09-309590-007-09321.20 ppb
2014-10-079590-007-10151.30 ppb
2014-10-149590-007-10101.20 ppb
2014-10-219590-007-09201.30 ppb
2014-10-289590-007-09141.30 ppb
2014-11-049590-007-09501.20 ppb
2014-11-129590-007-10001.20 ppb
2014-11-189590-007-10001.40 ppb
2014-11-249590-007-11151.30 ppb
2014-12-019590-007-14310.730 ppb
2014-12-099590-007-09151.20 ppb
2014-12-159590-007-10031.20 ppb
2014-12-239590-007-09430.730 ppb
2014-12-309590-007-10100.690 ppb
2015-01-069590-007-10101.10 ppb
2015-01-139590-007-10401.30 ppb
2015-01-209590-007-09471.50 ppb
2015-01-279590-007-10101.20 ppb
2015-02-039590-007-09581.30 ppb
2015-02-109590-007-10301.40 ppb
2015-02-179590-007-07501.40 ppb
2015-02-249590-007-08541.30 ppb
2015-03-039590-007-09001.50 ppb
2015-03-109590-007-09530.900 ppb
2015-03-179590-007-10001.30 ppb
2015-03-249590-007-10101.30 ppb
2015-03-319590-007-10051.30 ppb
2015-04-079590-007-09001.20 ppb
2015-04-149590-007-09041.30 ppb
2015-04-219590-007-10101.20 ppb
2015-04-289590-007-10101.60 ppb
2015-05-059590-007-09051.30 ppb
2015-05-129590-007-09401.20 ppb
2015-05-199590-007-08521.40 ppb
2015-05-269590-007-08551.30 ppb
2015-06-029590-007-09301.40 ppb
2015-06-099590-007-09151.20 ppb
2015-06-169590-007-08441.20 ppb
2015-06-239590-007-10301.20 ppb
2015-06-309590-007-09121.30 ppb
2015-07-079590-007-09531.40 ppb
2015-07-149590-007-09451.20 ppb
2015-07-229590-007-09301.40 ppb
2015-07-289590-007-09301.20 ppb
2015-08-049590-007-10101.20 ppb
2015-08-119590-007-08471.20 ppb
2015-08-189590-007-08571.20 ppb
2015-08-259590-007-09251.30 ppb
2015-09-019590-007-09351.20 ppb
2015-09-089590-007-10201.40 ppb
2015-09-149590-007-12001.20 ppb
2015-09-219590-007-09001.40 ppb
2015-09-299590-007-08451.20 ppb
2015-10-069590-007-09251.20 ppb
2015-10-139590-007-10001.10 ppb
2015-10-209590-007-10101.20 ppb
2015-10-279590-007-10201.000 ppb
2015-11-029590-007-09351.20 ppb
2015-11-109590-007-09451.30 ppb
2015-11-179590-007-08501.20 ppb
2015-11-239590-007-10241.30 ppb
2015-12-019590-007-10051.20 ppb
2015-12-089590-007-10051.20 ppb
2015-12-159590-007-09201.40 ppb
2015-12-219590-007-10001.60 ppb
2015-12-289590-007-09401.20 ppb
2016-01-049590-007-09001.20 ppb
2016-01-129590-007-10200.980 ppb
2016-01-189590-007-10251.40 ppb
2016-01-269590-007-09121.20 ppb
2016-02-029590-007-09101.20 ppb
2016-02-099590-007-09001.40 ppb
2016-02-169590-007-10151.50 ppb
2016-02-239590-007-10151.60 ppb
2016-03-019590-007-10101.60 ppb
2016-03-089590-007-07001.10 ppb
2016-03-159590-007-09101.30 ppb
2016-03-229590-007-09301.30 ppb
2016-03-299590-007-09301.40 ppb
2016-04-059590-007-10001.40 ppb
2016-04-129590-007-10251.000 ppb
2016-04-199590-007-09001.20 ppb
2016-04-259590-007-09301.40 ppb
2016-05-029590-007-09351.20 ppb
2016-05-109590-007-09451.000 ppb
2016-05-179590-007-08270.940 ppb
2016-05-249590-007-09451.20 ppb
2016-05-319590-007-09121.30 ppb
2016-06-079590-007-09101.10 ppb
2016-06-149590-007-09401.10 ppb
2016-06-289590-007-10001.10 ppb
2016-07-059590-007-10301.20 ppb
2016-07-129590-007-09101.10 ppb
2016-07-199590-007-09051.10 ppb
2016-07-269590-007-09301.10 ppb
2016-08-029590-007-10301.30 ppb
2016-08-099590-007-09101.30 ppb
2016-08-169590-007-10301.20 ppb
2016-08-239590-007-08571.20 ppb
2016-09-069590-007-09301.20 ppb
2016-09-139590-007-09201.000 ppb
2016-10-049590-007-09151.20 ppb
2016-10-119590-007-09221.30 ppb
2016-10-189590-007-09301.10 ppb
2016-10-259590-007-09301.000 ppb
2016-11-019590-007-10051.20 ppb
2016-11-089590-007-10401.40 ppb
2016-11-159590-007-09001.30 ppb
2016-11-219590-007-09201.50 ppb
2016-11-299590-007-09200.980 ppb
2016-12-129590-007-10051.30 ppb
2017-01-109590-007-09151.10 ppb
2017-01-179590-007-07301.000 ppb
2017-01-249590-007-10101.000 ppb
2017-01-319590-007-10151.10 ppb
2017-02-079590-007-09351.50 ppb
2017-02-149590-007-09301.000 ppb
2017-02-219590-007-09301.10 ppb
2017-02-289590-007-09451.000 ppb
2017-03-069590-007-10051.10 ppb
2017-03-149590-007-10101.10 ppb
2017-03-209590-007-09051.50 ppb
2017-03-289590-007-08401.20 ppb
2017-04-049590-007-09301.20 ppb
2017-04-119590-007-09151.000 ppb
2017-04-189590-007-10101.10 ppb
2017-04-249590-007-10401.20 ppb
2017-05-029590-007-09251.20 ppb
2017-05-099590-007-08451.10 ppb
2017-05-169590-007-10200.950 ppb
2017-05-229590-007-09351.20 ppb
2017-05-309590-007-10551.000 ppb
2017-06-069590-007-10451.000 ppb
2017-06-139590-007-08521.10 ppb
2017-06-209590-007-09121.10 ppb
2017-06-279590-007-09101.30 ppb
2017-07-119590-007-10201.10 ppb
2017-07-189590-007-10301.10 ppb
2017-07-259590-007-09021.20 ppb
2017-08-019590-007-08551.10 ppb
2017-08-089590-007-09121.30 ppb
2017-08-159590-007-08521.30 ppb
2017-08-229590-007-10101.20 ppb
2017-08-299590-007-11001.20 ppb
2017-08-319590-007-11101.50 ppb
2017-09-059590-007-10101.20 ppb
2017-09-129590-007-09001.20 ppb
2017-09-199590-007-09401.000 ppb
2017-09-269590-007-09401.20 ppb
2017-10-039590-007-10150.960 ppb
2017-10-109590-007-09201.000 ppb
2017-10-179590-007-09350.930 ppb
2017-10-249590-007-08580.950 ppb
2017-10-319590-007-10200.960 ppb
2017-11-079590-007-09300.970 ppb
2017-11-149590-007-10251.10 ppb
2017-11-209590-007-10300.970 ppb
2017-11-289590-007-09071.10 ppb
2017-12-059590-007-09051.000 ppb
2017-12-129590-007-08451.10 ppb
2017-12-199590-007-10451.30 ppb
2017-12-262920-007-10450.700 ppb
2018-01-029590-007-11051.10 ppb
2018-01-109590-007-09051.10 ppb
2018-01-169590-007-09181.10 ppb
2018-01-239590-007-09301.20 ppb
2018-01-309590-007-09450.920 ppb
2018-02-069590-007-10201.10 ppb
2018-02-129590-007-10151.10 ppb
2018-02-209590-007-08521.20 ppb
2018-02-279590-007-08551.20 ppb
2018-03-069590-007-09451.20 ppb
2018-03-129590-007-11150.730 ppb
2018-03-192920-007-1100ND
2018-03-199590-007-1100ND
2018-03-279590-007-1040ND