Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Hopedale Water Department

NOTE: Hopedale Water Department purchases water from Milford Water Company which is required to test for benzene. Sample information shown below was taken by Milford Water Company.

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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND50ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

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

NOTE: Hopedale Water Department purchases water from Milford Water Company which is required to test for benzene. Sample information shown below was taken by Milford Water Company.

Date Result
2018-05-15ND
2018-05-15ND
2018-05-15ND
2018-06-06ND
2018-06-28ND
2019-05-14ND
2019-05-14ND
2019-07-25ND
2019-10-09ND
2020-04-27ND
2020-04-28ND
2020-04-28ND
2020-04-28ND
2021-05-11ND
2021-05-11ND
2021-05-11ND
2021-05-11ND
2022-04-27ND
2022-04-27ND
2022-04-27ND
2022-06-16ND
2023-06-06ND
2023-06-06ND
2023-06-06ND
2023-06-06ND