Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Dixie Overland Water System

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND80ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND80ND
2022N/A00N/A
2023N/A00N/A

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
2018-04-1635386971001ND
2018-04-1635386971002ND
2018-04-1635386971003ND
2018-04-1635386971004ND
2018-04-1635386971001ND
2018-04-1635386971002ND
2018-04-1635386971003ND
2018-04-1635386971004ND
2021-05-2035635248001ND
2021-05-2035635248002ND
2021-05-2035635248003ND
2021-05-2035635248004ND
2021-09-0935663022003ND
2021-09-0935663022004ND
2021-09-0935663022005ND
2021-09-0935663022006ND