Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

San Diego Municipal Utility District 1

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

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

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

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-12AE13322ND
2018-06-04AE28555ND
2019-02-11AE53819ND
2019-05-06AE64908ND
2020-06-04AF14192ND
2020-06-04AF14196ND
2021-06-07AF57519ND
2021-07-22AF63070ND
2021-11-29AF77508ND
2021-11-29AF77520ND
2022-01-20AF80982ND
2022-01-20AF81002ND
2023-02-22AG29940ND
2023-04-24AG37704ND
2023-07-24AG49832ND
2023-11-15AG63792ND