Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Ventura County Waterworks District No. 19 - Somis

NOTE: Ventura County Waterworks District No. 19 - Somis purchases water from Calleguas Municipal Water District which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by Calleguas Municipal Water District.

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

50

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl chloride 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: Ventura County Waterworks District No. 19 - Somis purchases water from Calleguas Municipal Water District which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by Calleguas Municipal Water District.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-13CA5610050_016_016-201802130945ND
2018-02-13CA5610050_015_015-201802131050ND
2018-02-26CA5610050_004_004-201802260915ND
2018-02-26CA5610050_001_001-201802260830ND
2018-03-07CA5610050_013_013-201803071320ND
2018-03-08CA5610050_012_012-201803081000ND
2018-03-08CA5610050_014_014-201803081330ND
2018-03-15CA5610050_001_001-201803151300ND
2018-04-30CA5610050_017_017-201804301030ND
2018-11-05CA5610050_004_004-201811050820ND
2019-01-29CA5610050_001_001-201901290900ND
2019-01-29CA5610050_004_004-201901290930ND
2019-02-04CA5610050_018_018-201902040945ND
2019-02-05CA5610050_023_023-201902050945ND
2019-02-05CA5610050_022_022-201902051020ND
2019-02-07CA5610050_020_020-201902070840ND
2019-02-19CA5610050_019_019-201902191100ND
2019-11-04CA5610050_004_004-201911040800ND
2020-01-03CA5610050_007_007-202001031030ND
2020-01-07CA5610050_008_008-202001071030ND
2020-01-30CA5610050_004_004-202001300930ND
2020-01-30CA5610050_001_001-202001300945ND
2020-02-03CA5610050_011_011-202002030945ND
2020-02-10CA5610050_006_006-202002101005ND
2020-02-10CA5610050_009_009-202002101145ND
2020-02-12CA5610050_010_010-202002121110ND
2020-11-04CA5610050_004_004-202011040830ND
2021-02-10CA5610050_015_015-202102100830ND
2021-02-11CA5610050_001_001-202102110820ND
2021-02-11CA5610050_004_004-202102110920ND
2021-02-17CA5610050_012_012-202102171000ND
2021-02-17CA5610050_017_017-202102171100ND
2021-02-19CA5610050_013_013-202102191040ND
2021-02-22CA5610050_016_016-202102221117ND
2021-02-23CA5610050_014_014-202102231000ND
2022-01-03CA5610050_004_004-202201030920ND
2022-01-03CA5610050_001_001-202201030846ND
2022-01-04CA5610050_019_019-202201040850ND
2022-01-06CA5610050_023_023-202201060920ND
2022-01-13CA5610050_020_020-202201130950ND
2022-01-19CA5610050_022_022-202201191200ND
2022-01-19CA5610050_018_018-202201191115ND
2022-07-27CA5610050_021_021-202207271040ND
2023-03-15CA5610050_001_001-202303150945ND
2023-03-15CA5610050_004_004-202303150900ND
2023-03-21CA5610050_008_008-202303211100ND
2023-03-21CA5610050_006_006-202303211000ND
2023-03-22CA5610050_009_009-202303221140ND
2023-03-23CA5610050_007_007-202303230830ND
2023-09-21CA5610050_010_010-202309211250ND