Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Benzene

Patton Village West 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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND30ND
2022ND60ND
2023ND70ND

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
2018-09-19AE40721ND
2019-12-02AE90828ND
2020-07-30AF21391ND
2020-07-30AF21395ND
2020-07-30AF21433ND
2020-07-30AF21435ND
2020-10-05AF29481ND
2020-10-05AF29483ND
2020-10-05AF29485ND
2021-01-12AF38828ND
2021-01-12AF38834ND
2021-05-07AF52999ND
2022-06-06AF99677ND
2022-06-06AF99679ND
2022-08-10AG08612ND
2022-08-10AG08614ND
2022-10-18AG17490ND
2022-12-05AG20720ND
2023-01-10AG23727ND
2023-01-10AG23741ND
2023-01-10AG23747ND
2023-04-03AG35153ND
2023-05-10AG40025ND
2023-07-14AG48828ND
2023-10-26AG61269ND