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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chlorate

Plainview Municipal Water System

Chlorate forms in drinking water as a byproduct of disinfection. Chlorate impairs thyroid function, making chlorate exposure most harmful during pregnancy and childhood. Read More.

In 2002, California scientists proposed an advisory value, called an action level, for chlorate at 200 parts per billion. Between 2013 and 2015, the EPA collected data through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program and found that over 15 percent of water tests from 38 percent of utilities had chlorate levels above a health-protective concentration, which federal scientists defined as 210 parts per billion, nearly equivalent to the California advisory value.

Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

 

36

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20142.61 ppb364ND - 28.0 ppb
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 210 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 210 ppb for chlorate was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmark for testing under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program. This health guideline protects against hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-02-26Q1406213027ND
2014-02-26Q1406213009ND
2014-02-26Q1406213011ND
2014-02-26Q140621301320.6 ppb
2014-02-26Q140621300720.3 ppb
2014-02-26Q1406213021ND
2014-02-26Q1406213019ND
2014-02-26Q1406213003ND
2014-02-26Q1406213029ND
2014-02-26Q1406213023ND
2014-02-26Q1406213025ND
2014-02-26Q1406213015ND
2014-02-26Q1406213031ND
2014-02-26Q1406213001ND
2014-02-26Q1406213017ND
2014-02-26Q1406213005ND
2014-05-28Q1418203001ND
2014-05-28Q1418203003ND
2014-09-03Q1440763001ND
2014-09-03Q1440763005ND
2014-09-03Q1440763003ND
2014-09-03Q1440763011ND
2014-09-03Q1440763007ND
2014-09-03Q1440763013ND
2014-09-03Q1440763009ND
2014-09-03Q1440763021ND
2014-09-03Q1440763019ND
2014-09-03Q1440763023ND
2014-09-03Q1440763031ND
2014-09-03Q1440763025ND
2014-09-03Q1440763029ND
2014-09-03Q1440763027ND
2014-09-03Q1440763015ND
2014-09-03Q1440763017ND
2014-11-12Q145565400125.0 ppb
2014-11-12Q145565400328.0 ppb