Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Vinyl chloride

North Cherokee Water Supply Corporation

NOTE: North Cherokee Water Supply Corporation purchases water from City of Jacksonville which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Jacksonville.

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.

 

37

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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: North Cherokee Water Supply Corporation purchases water from City of Jacksonville which is required to test for vinyl chloride. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Jacksonville.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-13Q1836630003ND
2018-11-12Q1845099003ND
2018-11-12Q1845099007ND
2018-11-12Q1845099011ND
2018-11-12Q1845099015ND
2019-01-30Q1904613014ND
2019-01-30Q1904613016ND
2019-01-30Q1904613017ND
2019-01-30Q1904613019ND
2019-07-02Q1941674003ND
2019-07-02Q1941674001ND
2020-01-27Q2002874011ND
2020-01-27Q2002874013ND
2020-01-27Q2002874015ND
2020-01-27Q2002874017ND
2020-05-07Q2018089003ND
2020-07-01Q2026151001ND
2021-07-12Q2118022009ND
2021-07-12Q2118022017ND
2021-07-12Q2118022015ND
2021-07-12Q2118022011ND
2021-07-12Q2118022007ND
2021-07-12Q2118022013ND
2022-04-07Q2210862004ND
2022-04-07Q2210862006ND
2022-04-07Q2210862008ND
2022-04-07Q2210862010ND
2022-08-25Q2225372001ND
2022-12-01Q2235911007ND
2022-12-01Q2235911009ND
2023-01-30Q2304172002ND
2023-04-27Q2315893005ND
2023-07-03Q2326028004ND
2023-09-28Q2341783006ND
2023-09-28Q2341783008ND
2023-09-28Q2341783010ND
2023-09-28Q2341783012ND