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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chlorate

Wells Branch MUD 1

NOTE: Wells Branch MUD 1 purchases water from City of Austin Water & Wastewater which is required to test for chlorate. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Austin Water & Wastewater.

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.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013ND20ND
2014ND60ND
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

NOTE: Wells Branch MUD 1 purchases water from City of Austin Water & Wastewater which is required to test for chlorate. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Austin Water & Wastewater.

Date Lab ID Result
2013-10-22Q1309118001ND
2013-10-22Q1309118009ND
2013-10-22Q1309118011ND
2013-10-22Q1309118005ND
2014-01-23Q1402097011ND
2014-01-23Q1402097009ND
2014-01-23Q1402097005ND
2014-01-23Q1402097001ND
2014-04-15Q1411774001ND
2014-04-15Q1411774011ND
2014-04-15Q1411774009ND
2014-04-15Q1411774005ND
2014-07-24Q1430548001ND
2014-07-24Q1430548011ND
2014-07-24Q1430548009ND
2014-07-24Q1430548005ND