Benzene

Jackson Water System

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

396

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.315 ppb	21	6	ND - 1.60 ppb
2015	0.162 ppb	96	14	ND - 1.41 ppb
2016	1.13 ppb	22	8	ND - 16.1 ppb
2017	0.289 ppb	24	4	ND - 2.01 ppb
2018	0.904 ppb	101	32	ND - 9.10 ppb
2019	0.615 ppb	132	27	ND - 9.30 ppb

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

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
2014-01-09	1.60 ppb
2014-02-05	ND
2014-02-07	ND
2014-03-06	ND
2014-03-06	ND
2014-04-02	ND
2014-05-06	ND
2014-05-06	1.30 ppb
2014-06-04	ND
2014-06-04	ND
2014-07-01	ND
2014-07-01	0.732 ppb
2014-08-18	ND
2014-08-19	1.19 ppb
2014-09-04	1.27 ppb
2014-09-05	ND
2014-10-02	ND
2014-10-06	ND
2014-11-05	0.527 ppb
2014-12-03	ND
2014-12-03	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	1.36 ppb
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-01-06	ND
2015-02-03	ND
2015-02-04	ND
2015-02-05	ND
2015-02-05	ND
2015-02-05	ND
2015-02-05	ND
2015-02-05	ND
2015-02-06	1.36 ppb
2015-02-06	ND
2015-02-06	ND
2015-03-04	0.633 ppb
2015-03-09	ND
2015-03-09	ND
2015-03-09	ND
2015-04-06	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-07	ND
2015-04-08	ND
2015-04-08	ND
2015-05-05	ND
2015-05-05	ND
2015-05-05	ND
2015-05-05	1.41 ppb
2015-05-05	1.20 ppb
2015-06-08	ND
2015-06-08	ND
2015-06-08	ND
2015-06-10	0.849 ppb
2015-07-07	ND
2015-07-07	ND
2015-07-07	ND
2015-07-08	ND
2015-07-08	ND
2015-07-08	ND
2015-07-09	1.37 ppb
2015-07-09	ND
2015-07-09	0.602 ppb
2015-07-09	ND
2015-07-09	0.787 ppb
2015-07-09	ND
2015-07-09	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-03	ND
2015-08-04	ND
2015-08-04	ND
2015-08-04	ND
2015-08-12	ND
2015-08-12	ND
2015-08-12	ND
2015-09-01	ND
2015-09-01	ND
2015-09-01	ND
2015-09-01	1.36 ppb
2015-09-01	1.15 ppb
2015-10-05	ND
2015-10-05	ND
2015-10-05	ND
2015-10-06	ND
2015-10-06	ND
2015-10-06	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	1.12 ppb
2015-10-08	1.03 ppb
2015-10-08	ND
2015-10-08	ND
2015-11-02	ND
2015-11-02	ND
2015-11-02	ND
2015-11-02	ND
2015-12-03	ND
2015-12-03	ND
2015-12-03	ND
2015-12-03	1.30 ppb
2015-12-03	ND
2016-01-07	ND
2016-01-07	1.02 ppb
2016-02-02	ND
2016-02-02	1.07 ppb
2016-03-01	ND
2016-03-01	0.784 ppb
2016-04-06	ND
2016-04-07	ND
2016-05-04	ND
2016-05-05	ND
2016-06-07	ND
2016-06-09	2.05 ppb
2016-07-05	ND
2016-07-05	0.769 ppb
2016-08-02	ND
2016-08-02	1.81 ppb
2016-09-06	1.26 ppb
2016-09-09	ND
2016-10-04	16.1 ppb
2016-11-02	ND
2016-11-03	ND
2016-12-05	ND
2017-01-04	ND
2017-01-05	ND
2017-01-10	ND
2017-02-01	ND
2017-02-01	ND
2017-03-07	ND
2017-03-07	ND
2017-04-06	ND
2017-04-07	ND
2017-05-09	ND
2017-05-09	ND
2017-06-08	ND
2017-06-14	1.96 ppb
2017-07-05	ND
2017-07-12	2.01 ppb
2017-08-01	ND
2017-08-09	1.36 ppb
2017-09-14	ND
2017-09-26	ND
2017-10-17	ND
2017-10-18	1.60 ppb
2017-11-10	ND
2017-12-05	ND
2017-12-12	ND
2018-01-03	ND
2018-01-04	ND
2018-01-04	ND
2018-01-09	ND
2018-01-09	ND
2018-01-09	ND
2018-01-09	ND
2018-01-09	6.50 ppb
2018-01-09	ND
2018-01-10	2.00 ppb
2018-01-10	0.780 ppb
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-10	5.10 ppb
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-10	ND
2018-01-25	9.10 ppb
2018-02-05	ND
2018-02-05	ND
2018-02-05	ND
2018-02-06	6.60 ppb
2018-02-06	ND
2018-02-07	ND
2018-02-07	2.50 ppb
2018-02-07	ND
2018-02-07	ND
2018-02-07	ND
2018-03-06	4.30 ppb
2018-03-07	0.500 ppb
2018-03-07	ND
2018-03-07	ND
2018-03-07	1.80 ppb
2018-03-07	ND
2018-03-07	1.000 ppb
2018-03-07	ND
2018-03-07	ND
2018-04-03	0.500 ppb
2018-04-03	ND
2018-04-03	ND
2018-04-03	5.60 ppb
2018-04-04	ND
2018-04-04	1.70 ppb
2018-04-04	ND
2018-04-04	1.70 ppb
2018-04-04	0.700 ppb
2018-04-11	ND
2018-04-11	ND
2018-04-11	ND
2018-04-13	ND
2018-05-02	1.000 ppb
2018-06-06	2.00 ppb
2018-06-07	0.600 ppb
2018-07-11	0.500 ppb
2018-07-11	ND
2018-07-11	ND
2018-07-12	0.700 ppb
2018-08-07	3.90 ppb
2018-08-07	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-08	ND
2018-08-09	ND
2018-08-21	3.30 ppb
2018-08-22	1.30 ppb
2018-09-11	ND
2018-09-11	ND
2018-09-12	ND
2018-09-12	ND
2018-09-12	ND
2018-09-12	1.50 ppb
2018-09-20	ND
2018-10-02	ND
2018-10-02	ND
2018-10-02	4.70 ppb
2018-10-02	ND
2018-10-03	1.80 ppb
2018-10-13	ND
2018-10-16	ND
2018-10-16	ND
2018-10-16	ND
2018-11-13	1.30 ppb
2018-11-13	8.80 ppb
2018-11-14	ND
2018-11-14	ND
2018-11-14	0.800 ppb
2018-12-05	ND
2018-12-05	ND
2018-12-05	ND
2018-12-05	1.000 ppb
2018-12-05	7.70 ppb
2018-12-06	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	0.800 ppb
2019-01-08	4.80 ppb
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-08	ND
2019-01-09	1.60 ppb
2019-01-09	ND
2019-01-09	ND
2019-01-09	ND
2019-02-04	6.90 ppb
2019-02-04	ND
2019-02-04	ND
2019-02-04	ND
2019-02-04	ND
2019-02-04	ND
2019-02-05	2.10 ppb
2019-02-05	0.700 ppb
2019-02-05	ND
2019-02-05	ND
2019-02-05	ND
2019-02-05	7.60 ppb
2019-02-05	ND
2019-02-05	ND
2019-02-06	1.30 ppb
2019-02-07	ND
2019-02-07	ND
2019-02-07	ND
2019-03-11	ND
2019-03-11	ND
2019-03-11	ND
2019-03-11	ND
2019-03-11	ND
2019-03-11	4.70 ppb
2019-03-12	ND
2019-03-12	ND
2019-03-12	9.30 ppb
2019-03-12	ND
2019-03-12	1.30 ppb
2019-03-12	2.40 ppb
2019-03-12	ND
2019-03-12	ND
2019-03-13	ND
2019-03-13	ND
2019-03-13	ND
2019-03-13	1.20 ppb
2019-04-08	ND
2019-04-08	ND
2019-04-08	ND
2019-04-08	ND
2019-04-08	ND
2019-04-08	7.30 ppb
2019-04-09	1.70 ppb
2019-04-09	1.60 ppb
2019-04-09	ND
2019-04-09	ND
2019-04-09	7.70 ppb
2019-04-09	ND
2019-04-09	ND
2019-04-09	ND
2019-04-10	1.000 ppb
2019-04-11	ND
2019-04-11	ND
2019-04-11	ND
2019-05-07	5.00 ppb
2019-05-08	ND
2019-05-08	ND
2019-05-08	ND
2019-05-08	ND
2019-05-08	2.20 ppb
2019-06-05	ND
2019-06-05	ND
2019-06-06	ND
2019-06-06	ND
2019-06-06	ND
2019-06-06	0.500 ppb
2019-07-11	ND
2019-07-11	ND
2019-07-11	ND
2019-07-15	ND
2019-07-15	ND
2019-07-15	ND
2019-07-15	2.90 ppb
2019-07-15	ND
2019-07-15	ND
2019-07-16	ND
2019-07-16	ND
2019-07-16	1.10 ppb
2019-08-05	ND
2019-08-05	ND
2019-08-06	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-08-07	ND
2019-09-09	ND
2019-09-09	ND
2019-09-10	ND
2019-09-10	ND
2019-09-10	ND
2019-09-10	ND
2019-09-10	ND
2019-10-09	ND
2019-10-09	ND
2019-10-09	ND
2019-10-14	ND
2019-10-14	ND
2019-10-14	ND
2019-10-14	ND
2019-10-14	2.20 ppb
2019-10-14	ND
2019-10-15	ND
2019-10-15	ND
2019-10-15	ND
2019-11-11	2.20 ppb
2019-11-11	ND
2019-11-12	0.500 ppb
2019-11-15	ND
2019-11-15	ND
2019-11-15	ND
2019-12-03	0.600 ppb
2019-12-04	ND