Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Littleton Water Department

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.

 

50

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND70ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND90ND
2022ND90ND
2023ND110ND

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 Result
2018-04-11ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-01ND
2018-05-07ND
2018-05-07ND
2018-06-19ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-01ND
2019-05-30ND
2019-06-05ND
2019-06-17ND
2020-05-14ND
2020-05-14ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-05-26ND
2020-06-16ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-05ND
2021-04-12ND
2021-06-09ND
2021-07-26ND
2021-10-21ND
2022-02-16ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2022-05-18ND
2023-05-25ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-06-16ND
2023-07-20ND
2023-10-04ND