Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Cecilia Water Corporation

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.

 

15

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND50ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

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
2020-05-0635548260001ND
2020-09-2835581253002ND
2020-09-2835581253003ND
2020-12-0735597474003ND
2020-12-0735597474004ND
2021-02-0135608904003ND
2021-02-0135608904004ND
2021-05-0335630992003ND
2021-05-0335630992004ND
2022-01-3135694190001ND
2022-01-3135694190003ND
2022-04-0635708799002ND
2023-02-1335779756009ND
2023-11-0635840310001ND
2023-11-0635840310002ND