Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Amicks Ferry Water System

NOTE: Amicks Ferry Water System purchases water from City of Columbia which is required to test for benzene. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Columbia.

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND20ND

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: Amicks Ferry Water System purchases water from City of Columbia which is required to test for benzene. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Columbia.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-12AE09073ND
2018-07-16AE15003ND
2019-01-08AE23570ND
2019-07-16AE33661ND
2020-10-14AE55739ND
2020-11-04AE56846ND
2021-10-19AE73590ND
2021-10-20AE73703ND
2022-09-08AE89410ND
2022-09-19AE89796ND
2023-09-06AF08032ND
2023-09-21AF08856ND