Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Minden 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.

 

59

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

2

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND220ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND90ND
20220.0236 ppb251ND - 0.590 ppb
20230.567 ppb31ND - 1.70 ppb

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
2018-06-2535400742009ND
2018-06-2535400742008ND
2018-06-2535400742001ND
2018-06-2535400742002ND
2018-06-2535400742005ND
2018-06-2535400742006ND
2018-06-2535400742007ND
2018-06-2535400742008ND
2018-06-2535400742009ND
2018-06-2535400742007ND
2018-06-2535400742006ND
2018-06-2535400742005ND
2018-06-2535400742002ND
2018-06-2535400742001ND
2018-07-1835405388002ND
2018-07-1835405388001ND
2018-07-1835405388004ND
2018-07-1835405388003ND
2018-07-1835405388002ND
2018-07-1835405388001ND
2018-07-1835405388004ND
2018-07-1835405388003ND
2021-04-1335626547005ND
2021-04-1335626547004ND
2021-04-1335626547003ND
2021-04-1335626547002ND
2021-04-1335625915003ND
2021-04-1335625915002ND
2021-04-1335625915001ND
2021-04-1335625915004ND
2021-06-1735641728002ND
2022-06-02357221810070.590 ppb
2022-06-0235722181001ND
2022-06-0235722181002ND
2022-06-0235722181003ND
2022-06-0235722181004ND
2022-06-0235722181005ND
2022-06-0235722181006ND
2022-06-0235722181008ND
2022-06-0235722181009ND
2022-06-0235722183001ND
2022-06-0235722183002ND
2022-06-0735723468003ND
2022-06-0735723468005ND
2022-06-0735723468004ND
2022-06-0735723468002ND
2022-09-1435747184002ND
2022-09-1435747184001ND
2022-09-1435747182008ND
2022-09-1435747182007ND
2022-09-1435747182006ND
2022-09-1435747182005ND
2022-09-1435747182004ND
2022-09-1435747182003ND
2022-09-1435747182002ND
2022-09-1435747182001ND
2023-12-14358497770011.70 ppb
2023-12-1435849777002ND
2023-12-1435849777003ND