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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chlorate

Calleguas Municipal Water District

Chlorate forms in drinking water as a byproduct of disinfection. Chlorate impairs thyroid function, making chlorate exposure most harmful during pregnancy and childhood. Read More.

In 2002, California scientists proposed an advisory value, called an action level, for chlorate at 200 parts per billion. Between 2013 and 2015, the EPA collected data through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program and found that over 15 percent of water tests from 38 percent of utilities had chlorate levels above a health-protective concentration, which federal scientists defined as 210 parts per billion, nearly equivalent to the California advisory value.

Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

 

11

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND10ND
201512.0 ppb21ND - 24.0 ppb
2016ND20ND
2017ND20ND
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 210 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 210 ppb for chlorate was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmark for testing under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program. This health guideline protects against hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-05-079588-004-0915ND
2015-02-069588-004-093024.0 ppb
2015-11-049588-004-1340ND
2016-04-049588-004-0840ND
2016-11-074790-004-0745ND
2017-03-219588-004-1040ND
2017-10-162706-004-0855ND
2018-02-262706-004-0915ND
2018-11-052706-004-0820ND
2019-01-292706-004-0930ND
2019-11-042706-004-0800ND