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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Benzene

City of Westminster

Benzene is a known human carcinogen. It also damages blood cells and the nervous system. Emissions from petroleum processing, hazardous waste landfills and underground storage tanks contaminate drinking water with benzene. Read More.

To protect against cancer risks, California set a public health goal for benzene in drinking water at 0.15 parts per billion, 30 times lower than the federal legal limit of 5 parts per billion.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

72

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND170ND
2015ND110ND
2016ND110ND
2017ND130ND
2018ND100ND
2019ND100ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.15 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.15 ppb for benzene 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 benzene, established in 1987, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to benzene exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-01-284417-004-0815ND
2014-01-284417-005-0855ND
2014-01-284417-006-0925ND
2014-01-284417-016-1000ND
2014-01-294417-001-0820ND
2014-01-294417-040-0920ND
2014-01-294417-030-0855ND
2014-01-304417-038-0745ND
2014-01-304417-002-0820ND
2014-04-224417-002-0840ND
2014-04-234417-040-0850ND
2014-04-244417-038-0805ND
2014-04-244417-018-0840ND
2014-07-294417-038-0755ND
2014-07-294417-002-0835ND
2014-07-304417-040-0850ND
2014-10-284417-038-0820ND
2015-01-264417-004-0930ND
2015-01-264417-006-0830ND
2015-01-264417-002-0755ND
2015-01-274417-001-0755ND
2015-01-274417-005-0830ND
2015-01-284417-040-0840ND
2015-01-284417-030-0810ND
2015-03-254417-038-0825ND
2015-03-254417-016-0850ND
2015-04-224417-018-0915ND
2015-09-144417-002-0955ND
2016-01-204417-004-0820ND
2016-01-204417-038-0855ND
2016-01-204417-030-0915ND
2016-01-204417-016-0945ND
2016-01-264417-001-0835ND
2016-01-264417-005-0805ND
2016-01-274417-040-0810ND
2016-04-254417-006-0830ND
2016-06-274417-018-0930ND
2016-07-134417-002-0935ND
2016-07-144417-018-0920ND
2017-01-124417-004-1000ND
2017-01-124417-016-1035ND
2017-01-244417-030-0915ND
2017-01-244417-040-0845ND
2017-01-244417-038-0810ND
2017-01-314417-001-1000ND
2017-01-314417-005-0840ND
2017-01-314417-006-0910ND
2017-03-084417-001-0850ND
2017-03-084417-005-0815ND
2017-04-174417-018-0925ND
2017-04-194417-006-1130ND
2017-04-204417-002-0920ND
2018-01-164417-004-0820ND
2018-01-164417-040-0910ND
2018-01-174417-038-0800ND
2018-01-174417-016-0830ND
2018-01-184417-005-0905ND
2018-01-184417-001-0830ND
2018-01-184417-030-0800ND
2018-04-114417-018-0940ND
2018-04-124417-006-1030ND
2018-04-164417-002-0900ND
2019-01-284417-001-0810ND
2019-01-284417-016-0910ND
2019-01-284417-005-0950ND
2019-01-314417-004-0915ND
2019-01-314417-040-1000ND
2019-01-314417-030-0840ND
2019-01-314417-038-0820ND
2019-04-164417-002-0955ND
2019-04-174417-018-0850ND
2019-04-174417-006-0800ND