Trichloroacetic acid
New Mexico State University
Trichloroacetic acid, one of the group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards, is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Haloacetic acids and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ND | 16 | 0 | ND |
| 2015 | 0.789 ppb | 16 | 12 | ND - 2.16 ppb |
| 2016 | 0.233 ppb | 16 | 9 | ND - 0.660 ppb |
| 2017 | 0.409 ppb | 16 | 10 | ND - 0.930 ppb |
| 2018 | 0.799 ppb | 16 | 15 | ND - 1.80 ppb |
| 2019 | 0.686 ppb | 16 | 16 | 0.280 ppb - 2.00 ppb |
ppb = parts per billion
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.1 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for trichloroacetic acid was proposed in 2020 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.a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.
ppb = parts per billion
All test results
| Date | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-08 | 1401334-003B | ND |
| 2014-01-08 | 1401334-004B | ND |
| 2014-01-08 | 1401334-002B | ND |
| 2014-01-08 | 1401334-001B | ND |
| 2014-04-14 | 1404785-001B | ND |
| 2014-04-16 | 1404787-001B | ND |
| 2014-04-16 | 1404788-001B | ND |
| 2014-04-16 | 1404784-001B | ND |
| 2014-07-10 | 1407544-001B | ND |
| 2014-07-10 | 1407545-001B | ND |
| 2014-07-10 | 1407543-001B | ND |
| 2014-07-10 | 1407546-001B | ND |
| 2014-10-02 | 1410163-001B | ND |
| 2014-10-02 | 1410166-001B | ND |
| 2014-10-02 | 1410168-001B | ND |
| 2014-10-02 | 1410170-001B | ND |
| 2015-01-13 | 1501427-001B | 2.16 ppb |
| 2015-01-13 | 1501426-001B | 1.94 ppb |
| 2015-01-13 | 1501428-001B | 1.89 ppb |
| 2015-01-13 | 1501425-001B | 1.58 ppb |
| 2015-04-09 | 1504584-001B | ND |
| 2015-04-09 | 1504582-001B | ND |
| 2015-04-09 | 1504583-001B | ND |
| 2015-04-09 | 1504585-001B | ND |
| 2015-07-08 | 2015019801 | 0.600 ppb |
| 2015-07-08 | 2015019804 | 0.570 ppb |
| 2015-07-08 | 2015019802 | 0.590 ppb |
| 2015-07-08 | 2015019803 | 0.610 ppb |
| 2015-10-05 | 2015030161 | 0.680 ppb |
| 2015-10-05 | 2015030162 | 0.660 ppb |
| 2015-10-05 | 2015030160 | 0.490 ppb |
| 2015-10-05 | 2015030159 | 0.860 ppb |
| 2016-01-20 | 2016001832 | 0.390 ppb |
| 2016-01-20 | 2016001833 | 0.240 ppb |
| 2016-01-20 | 2016001831 | 0.170 ppb |
| 2016-01-20 | 2016001830 | 0.110 ppb |
| 2016-04-25 | 2016011647 | ND |
| 2016-04-25 | 2016011646 | ND |
| 2016-04-25 | 2016011648 | ND |
| 2016-04-25 | 2016011645 | 0.560 ppb |
| 2016-07-13 | 2016020119 | ND |
| 2016-07-13 | 2016020118 | ND |
| 2016-07-13 | 2016020117 | ND |
| 2016-07-13 | 2016020116 | ND |
| 2016-10-25 | 2016031044 | 0.660 ppb |
| 2016-10-25 | 2016031045 | 0.570 ppb |
| 2016-10-25 | 2016031046 | 0.520 ppb |
| 2016-10-25 | 2016031047 | 0.500 ppb |
| 2017-01-11 | 2017000993 | 0.520 ppb |
| 2017-01-11 | 2017000991 | 0.680 ppb |
| 2017-01-11 | 2017000992 | 0.590 ppb |
| 2017-01-11 | 2017000990 | 0.550 ppb |
| 2017-04-19 | 2017011467 | ND |
| 2017-04-19 | 2017011468 | ND |
| 2017-04-19 | 2017011469 | ND |
| 2017-04-19 | 2017011466 | ND |
| 2017-07-25 | 2017021528 | ND |
| 2017-07-25 | 2017021526 | ND |
| 2017-07-25 | 2017021525 | 0.530 ppb |
| 2017-07-25 | 2017021527 | 0.610 ppb |
| 2017-10-23 | 2017030586 | 0.930 ppb |
| 2017-10-23 | 2017030585 | 0.870 ppb |
| 2017-10-23 | 2017030584 | 0.690 ppb |
| 2017-10-23 | 2017030583 | 0.580 ppb |
| 2018-01-23 | 2018002288 | 1.80 ppb |
| 2018-01-23 | 2018002287 | 1.10 ppb |
| 2018-01-23 | 2018002286 | 1.000 ppb |
| 2018-01-23 | 2018002285 | 1.20 ppb |
| 2018-04-25 | 2018011471 | 0.430 ppb |
| 2018-04-25 | 2018011468 | ND |
| 2018-04-25 | 2018011469 | 0.500 ppb |
| 2018-04-25 | 2018011470 | 0.510 ppb |
| 2018-07-16 | 2018019582 | 0.770 ppb |
| 2018-07-16 | 2018019581 | 1.000 ppb |
| 2018-07-16 | 2018019580 | 0.430 ppb |
| 2018-07-16 | 2018019579 | 0.820 ppb |
| 2018-10-25 | 2018030464 | 0.840 ppb |
| 2018-10-25 | 2018030465 | 0.840 ppb |
| 2018-10-25 | 2018030466 | 0.820 ppb |
| 2018-10-25 | 2018030467 | 0.730 ppb |
| 2019-01-09 | 2019000872 | 0.620 ppb |
| 2019-01-09 | 2019000873 | 0.630 ppb |
| 2019-01-09 | 2019000874 | 0.670 ppb |
| 2019-01-09 | 2019000875 | 0.800 ppb |
| 2019-04-02 | 2019008413 | 0.600 ppb |
| 2019-04-02 | 2019008416 | 0.940 ppb |
| 2019-04-02 | 2019008415 | 0.560 ppb |
| 2019-04-02 | 2019008414 | 2.00 ppb |
| 2019-07-08 | 2019018553 | 0.870 ppb |
| 2019-07-08 | 2019018555 | 0.330 ppb |
| 2019-07-08 | 2019018554 | 0.280 ppb |
| 2019-07-08 | 2019018552 | 0.320 ppb |
| 2019-10-14 | 2019029529 | 0.570 ppb |
| 2019-10-14 | 2019029528 | 0.490 ppb |
| 2019-10-14 | 2019029527 | 0.640 ppb |
| 2019-10-15 | 2019029530 | 0.650 ppb |