Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Chlorate

Rochester

Chlorate forms in drinking water as a byproduct of disinfection. Chlorate impairs thyroid function, making chlorate exposure most harmful during pregnancy and childhood. Read More.

In 2002, California scientists proposed an advisory value, called an action level, for chlorate at 200 parts per billion. Between 2013 and 2015, the EPA collected data through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program and found that over 15 percent of water tests from 38 percent of utilities had chlorate levels above a health-protective concentration, which federal scientists defined as 210 parts per billion, nearly equivalent to the California advisory value.

Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND160ND
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
2021N/A00N/A
2022N/A00N/A
2023N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 210 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 210 ppb for chlorate was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmark for testing under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program. This health guideline protects against hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-05-192008220001ND
2014-05-192008220015ND
2014-05-192008220009ND
2014-05-192008220003ND
2014-05-192008220012ND
2014-06-022010033004ND
2014-06-022010033001ND
2014-11-032037946006ND
2014-11-032037946015ND
2014-11-032037946024ND
2014-11-032037946001ND
2014-11-032037946009ND
2014-11-032037946018ND
2014-11-032037946003ND
2014-11-032037946012ND
2014-11-032037946021ND