Benzene

South Bend Water Works

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

131

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	N/A
2014	ND	9	ND
2015	N/A	0	N/A
2016	ND	3	ND
2017	ND	56	ND
2018	ND	27	ND
2019	ND	36	ND

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
2014-05-21	3030221RV-1402	ND
2014-05-22	3031802RV-1402	ND
2014-05-29	3034659RV-1402	ND
2014-06-05	3038372RV-1402	ND
2014-06-05	3038373RV-1402	ND
2014-06-05	3038374RV-1402	ND
2014-07-18	3065664RV-1403	ND
2014-07-18	3065665RV-1403	ND
2014-07-18	3065666RV-1403	ND
2016-09-22	373269RV-1603	ND
2016-10-04	374000RV-1604	ND
2016-10-24	375485RV-1604	ND
2017-02-07	3632950RV-1701	ND
2017-02-07	3632952RV-1701	ND
2017-02-08	3634164RV-1701	ND
2017-02-09	3635284RV-1701	ND
2017-02-09	3635286RV-1701	ND
2017-02-17	3640283RV-1701	ND
2017-02-24	3644353RV-1701	ND
2017-02-28	3646158RV-1701	ND
2017-03-08	3650536RV-1701	ND
2017-03-08	384204RV-1701	ND
2017-03-09	3651411RV-1701	ND
2017-03-09	384337RV-1701	ND
2017-03-10	3652024RV-1701	ND
2017-03-10	3652025RV-1701	ND
2017-03-10	384409RV-1701	ND
2017-03-13	3652961RV-1701	ND
2017-03-13	384476RV-1701	ND
2017-03-14	284557RV-1701	ND
2017-03-14	3653637RV-1701	ND
2017-03-14	3653638RV-1701	ND
2017-03-14	384557RV-1701	ND
2017-03-20	3656620RV-1701	ND
2017-03-20	384865RV-1701	ND
2017-03-28	3662056RV-1701	ND
2017-03-29	3663301RV-1701	ND
2017-03-29	3855496RV-1701	ND
2017-03-30	3664183RV-1701	ND
2017-04-18	3676153RV-1702	ND
2017-04-20	3678270RV-1702	ND
2017-04-20	3678272RV-1702	ND
2017-04-27	3683089RV-1702	ND
2017-05-03	3686136RV-1702	ND
2017-05-05	3688270RV-1702	ND
2017-05-09	3690243RV-1702	ND
2017-06-06	3707076RV-1702	ND
2017-06-06	3707077RV-1702	ND
2017-06-08	3709605RV-1702	ND
2017-06-22	3718872RV-1702	ND
2017-06-28	3722069RV-1702	ND
2017-06-29	3723855RV-1702	ND
2017-07-13	3731290RV-1703	ND
2017-07-19	3735753RV-1703	ND
2017-07-19	3735754RV-1703	ND
2017-08-15	3756533RV-1703	ND
2017-08-15	3756552RV-1703	ND
2017-09-12	3776266RV-1703	ND
2017-09-12	3776267RV-1703	ND
2017-09-25	3785511RV-1703	ND
2017-09-28	399192RV-1703	ND
2017-10-25	401366RV-1704	ND
2017-10-26	401432RV-1704	ND
2017-11-16	402987RV-1704	ND
2017-11-27	403480RV-1704	ND
2017-12-19	405161RV-1704	ND
2017-12-21	405404RV-1704	ND
2017-12-29	405734RV-1704	ND
2018-04-25	414680RV-1802	ND
2018-04-25	414920RV-1802	ND
2018-05-16	3937315RV-1802	ND
2018-05-17	3939542RV-1802	ND
2018-05-18	3939978RV-1802	ND
2018-06-07	418614RV-1802	ND
2018-06-14	419357RV-1802	ND
2018-07-11	3985111RV-1803	ND
2018-07-11	3985112RV-1803	ND
2018-07-11	3985113RV-1803	ND
2018-07-19	3995449RV-1803	ND
2018-08-09	425426RV-1803	ND
2018-08-09	425532RV-1803	ND
2018-09-19	4060738RV-1803	ND
2018-09-19	4060739RV-1803	ND
2018-09-20	4063034RV-1803	ND
2018-09-21	4063574RV-1803	ND
2018-09-27	4070482RV-1803	ND
2018-10-24	434025RV-1804	ND
2018-10-25	434064RV-1804	ND
2018-11-08	435404RV-1804	ND
2018-11-09	435524RV-1804	ND
2018-11-28	437015RV-1804	ND
2018-12-06	4142438RV-1804	ND
2018-12-06	4142439RV-1804	ND
2018-12-06	4145752RV-1804	ND
2018-12-06	4154072RV-1804	ND
2019-01-02	4161766RV-1901	ND
2019-01-02	4161767RV-1901	ND
2019-01-07	4165628RV-1901	ND
2019-02-14	4197825RV-1901	ND
2019-02-14	4197826RV-1901	ND
2019-02-14	4197827RV-1901	ND
2019-02-21	4204952RV-1901	ND
2019-02-27	4209984RV-1901	ND
2019-03-12	445768RV-1901	ND
2019-03-29	447366RV-1901	ND
2019-04-17	4262712RV-1902	ND
2019-04-17	4262713RV-1902	ND
2019-04-24	4270770RV-1902	ND
2019-04-24	4270771RV-1902	ND
2019-05-02	450735RV-1902	ND
2019-05-02	452296RV-1902	ND
2019-05-02	453728RV-1902	ND
2019-05-30	453858RV-1902	ND
2019-06-06	454412RV-1902	ND
2019-06-25	456374RV-1902	ND
2019-07-10	457913RV-1903	ND
2019-07-25	459662RV-1903	ND
2019-07-31	460126RV-1903	ND
2019-08-08	4379218RV-1903	ND
2019-08-09	4380516RV-1903	ND
2019-08-29	08/30/2019	ND
2019-08-29	4403462RV-1903	ND
2019-08-30	4405111RV-1903	ND
2019-09-26	466586RV-1903	ND
2019-09-30	466851RV-1903	ND
2019-10-23	469018RV-1904	ND
2019-11-05	469985RV-1904	ND
2019-11-18	471319RV-1904	ND
2019-12-09	473040RV-1904	ND
2019-12-09	473436RV-1904	ND
2019-12-19	4518947	ND