Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

Warminster Municipal Authority

NOTE: Warminster Municipal Authority purchases water from North Wales Water Authority which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by North Wales Water Authority.

Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen used for production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Discharges from plastics manufacturing can contaminate drinking water with vinyl chloride. Read More.

Exposure to vinyl chloride increases the risk of cancer and can damage the liver and nervous system. The California public health goal of 0.05 parts per billion, set to protect against cancer, is 40 times lower than the amount allowed by the federal government, which is a Maximum Contaminant Level of 2 parts per billion.

Plastic pipes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) are widely used for drinking water distribution lines and internal plumbing, raising concern about vinyl chloride contamination of drinking water. A study published in 2011 by Ryan Walter of Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering suggested that small amounts of vinyl chloride can leach from PVC pipes. Vinyl chloride can also form in the pipes as a result of water disinfection with chlorine.

In an assessment completed in 2000, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment stated that drinking water is not a significant source of exposure to vinyl chloride for the general population.

Click here to read more about carcinogenic VOCs.

 

69

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.05 ppb for vinyl chloride 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): 2 ppb

The legal limit for vinyl chloride, 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 vinyl chloride exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

NOTE: Warminster Municipal Authority purchases water from North Wales Water Authority which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by North Wales Water Authority.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-1220180932ND
2018-03-1220180940ND
2018-03-1220180939ND
2018-03-1220180938ND
2018-03-1220180937ND
2018-03-1220180936ND
2018-03-1220180935ND
2018-03-1220180934ND
2018-03-1220180933ND
2018-03-1320180956ND
2018-06-0520182148ND
2018-09-0420183373ND
2018-12-1820184775ND
2019-03-0520190857ND
2019-03-1220190960ND
2019-03-1220190956ND
2019-03-1220190964ND
2019-03-1220190957ND
2019-03-1220190963ND
2019-03-1220190962ND
2019-03-1220190958ND
2019-03-1220190961ND
2019-03-1220190959ND
2019-09-0320193443ND
2019-12-0320194748ND
2020-03-0321849465.00ND
2020-03-0321849444.00ND
2020-03-0321849423.00ND
2020-03-0321849486.00ND
2020-03-0321849507.00ND
2020-03-0321849528.00ND
2020-03-0321849402.00ND
2020-03-0321849549.00ND
2020-06-0222418578.00ND
2020-06-0222418599.00ND
2020-09-0123001533.00ND
2020-12-0123539407.00ND
2021-03-0124062308.00ND
2021-03-0124062392.00ND
2021-03-0124062266.00ND
2021-03-0124062371.00ND
2021-03-0124062350.00ND
2021-03-0124062329.00ND
2021-03-0124062287.00ND
2021-03-0224062413.00ND
2021-06-0124640226.00ND
2021-09-0925222345.00ND
2021-12-1425766375.00ND
2022-03-0126289329.00ND
2022-03-0926289245.00ND
2022-03-0926289308.00ND
2022-03-0926289287.00ND
2022-03-0926289182.00ND
2022-03-0926289224.00ND
2022-03-0926289203.00ND
2022-03-0926289266.00ND
2022-06-0726844658.00ND
2022-09-2027443450.00ND
2022-12-0628000356.00ND
2023-03-0728523008.00ND
2023-03-0828522945.00ND
2023-03-0828522903.00ND
2023-03-0828522987.00ND
2023-03-0828522966.00ND
2023-03-0828522924.00ND
2023-06-0529110404.00ND
2023-06-1929110353.00ND
2023-09-1229701904.00ND
2023-11-1730073306.00ND