Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Regional Water Authority

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.

 

83

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND100ND
2019ND110ND
2020ND100ND
2021ND110ND
2022ND110ND
2023ND300ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-03-05VOC1 200489128ND
2018-03-05VOC1 200489156ND
2018-03-05VOC1 200489150ND
2018-03-05VOC1 200489129ND
2018-03-06VOC1 200489295ND
2018-03-06VOC1 200489298ND
2018-03-06VOC1 200489296ND
2018-08-17VOC1 200502735ND
2018-11-29VOC1 200514106ND
2018-11-29VOC1 200514121ND
2019-03-04VOC1 200523176ND
2019-03-04VOC1 200523175ND
2019-03-04VOC1 200523151ND
2019-03-04VOC1 200523150ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523251ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523254ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523252ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523253ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523284ND
2019-03-05VOC1 200523286ND
2019-05-08VOC1 200531298ND
2020-03-02VOC1 200567665ND
2020-03-02VOC1 200567639ND
2020-03-02VOC1 200567640ND
2020-03-02VOC1 200567664ND
2020-03-02VOC1 200567639AND
2020-03-03VOC1 200567761ND
2020-03-03VOC1 200567764ND
2020-03-03VOC1 200567762ND
2020-03-03VOC1 200567961ND
2020-03-05VOC1 200568299ND
2021-03-08VOC1 200608882ND
2021-03-08VOC1 200608885ND
2021-03-08VOC1 200608801ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608962ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608960ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608959ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608951ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608924ND
2021-03-09VOC1 200608986ND
2021-03-10VOC1 200609193ND
2021-09-14V300058206 300058876ND
2022-03-07V300153337 300153343ND
2022-03-07V300153401 300153407ND
2022-03-07V300153384 300153390ND
2022-03-07V300153323 300153329ND
2022-03-08V300153972 300153978ND
2022-03-08V300153964 300153970ND
2022-03-08V300153956 300153962ND
2022-03-08V300154039 300154044ND
2022-03-08V300154049 300154054ND
2022-03-09V300154647 300154653ND
2022-03-09V300154596 300154602ND
2023-02-06V300305519 300305525ND
2023-02-21V300312034 300312489ND
2023-02-21V300312044 300312491ND
2023-02-21V300312000 300312269ND
2023-02-21V300312008 300312271ND
2023-03-06V300316345 300316348ND
2023-03-06V300316312 300316315ND
2023-03-06V300316298 300316301ND
2023-03-06V300316304 300316310ND
2023-03-06V300316290 300316296ND
2023-03-06V300316337 300316343ND
2023-03-07V300316907 300316913ND
2023-03-07V300316899 300316905ND
2023-03-07V300317611 300317617ND
2023-03-07V300317619 300317622ND
2023-03-08V300318416 300318422ND
2023-03-08V300317948 300317953ND
2023-03-08V300317958 300317963ND
2023-03-09V300319225 300319231ND
2023-06-05V300358561 300358568ND
2023-06-06V300359376 300359383ND
2023-06-06V300359368 300359375ND
2023-06-06V300359360 300359367ND
2023-06-06V300359352 300359359ND
2023-06-06V300359024 300359031ND
2023-06-06V300359033 300359040ND
2023-06-06V300359384 300359391ND
2023-06-06V300359393 300359400ND
2023-06-07V300360413 300360420ND
2023-06-07V300360421 300360428ND