Naphthalene

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Naphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, or PAH, released from combustion of fossil fuels and waste incinerators, and also used as a moth repellent. PAHs increase the risk of cancer; damage the immune, nervous and reproductive systems; and can harm developing fetuses.

2017-2019:

FOUND

states detected

utilities detected

216,000

people served

Health concerns for naphthalene

Cancer

Harm to the immune system

Harm to reproduction and child development

Change to the central nervous system

States reporting naphthalene in drinking water

	UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served
Wisconsin		7	59,575
New Jersey		6	52,717
Alabama		3	47,553
Iowa		2	16,780
Arkansas		4	13,856
Ohio		1	6,400
Texas		4	5,627
Missouri		3	3,274
Virginia		4	2,990
Washington		2	2,935
California		1	2,300
Vermont		1	551
Georgia		2	454
Oklahoma		1	373
Connecticut		1	98
Massachusetts		1	75
Nebraska		1	71
Maryland		1	68
New Hampshire		2	66
Nevada		1	40

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce naphthalene

Utilities with the highest amounts of naphthalene, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Alexander Water Department	Geneva, IA	1 of 1	3.00 ppb	175
Thompson Creek Rcpsa	Lebanon, VA	3 of 3	2.43 ppb	125
New Garden/finney - Rcpsa	Lebanon, VA	3 of 3	2.43 ppb	375
Honaker, Town of*	Honaker, VA	3 of 3	2.43 ppb	2,250
Central Garage Water System	King William, VA	1 of 1	1.70 ppb	2,100
Clive Water Department	Clive, IA	1 of 1	1.60 ppb	15,447
Bingen Water Department	Bingen, WA	3 of 7	1.54 ppb	735
Manly Water Supply	Manly, IA	4 of 4	1.48 ppb	1,333
Iron Belt Waterworks	Iron Belt, WI	4 of 4	1.39 ppb	135
Acsa Red Hill	Charlottesville, VA	2 of 2	1.35 ppb	240
Greendale Waterworks	Greendale, WI	20 of 20	1.22 ppb	14,046
Knob Hill Acres	Shell Knob, MO	2 of 2	1.16 ppb	125
New Castle	New Castle, VA	1 of 1	1.10 ppb	1,238
Fall Brook Mobile Home Park	Danielson, CT	1 of 2	1.10 ppb	98
Sweetwater Beach Subdivision	Eagle Rock, MO	1 of 1	1.03 ppb	63
Vaughn Trailer Park	Monett, MO	1 of 2	1.03 ppb	50
Parker Little River Water System	Acworth, GA	6 of 12	1.01 ppb	114
Stoney Field Mobile Home Park	Pittsford, NJ	10 of 13	0.997 ppb	200
Central Crossing Acres II	Shell Knob, MO	1 of 2	0.970 ppb	25
Peace of Mind Estates	Springfield, MO	1 of 2	0.955 ppb	60
Massena Village	Massena, NY	1 of 1	0.900 ppb	15,387
Jefferson Township W U Lk Hop*	Lake Hopatcong, NJ	2 of 22	0.818 ppb	8,500
Johnson City Mobile Home Park	Deering, NH	1 of 1	0.800 ppb	45
South Effingham Woods Water Inc.	Statesboro, GA	1 of 5	0.740 ppb	340
Brinton Woods Nursing and Rehab Center	Sykesville, MD	1 of 1	0.710 ppb	56
Village of Umber View Heights	Stockton, MO	1 of 2	0.665 ppb	50
Wilden Heights Homeowners Association	Springfield, MO	1 of 2	0.640 ppb	58
Friendship Hills Subd	Stockton, MO	1 of 2	0.625 ppb	35
Utilities Inc. - Lake Village SD	Mandeville, LA	2 of 2	0.610 ppb	2,073
Hubbard Water Supply	Hubbard, IA	1 of 1	0.600 ppb	845
Woodside Mobile Home Park	Amite, LA	2 of 2	0.580 ppb	60
Town of Sharpsburg	Williamsport, MD	1 of 2	0.485 ppb	1,360
Crosswoods Water Company	Oak Harbor, WA	1 of 3	0.467 ppb	420
Fawn Lake Village	Shamong, NJ	2 of 12	0.441 ppb	300
Southgate Mobile Home Park Water System	Bossier City, LA	2 of 4	0.415 ppb	177
Parkerville East Mobile Home Park	Lancaster, TX	1 of 6	0.408 ppb	50
Homer	Homer, GA	1 of 8	0.400 ppb	950
Oblates of St. Francis	Childs, MD	1 of 6	0.400 ppb	36
Butterfield PWS	Butterfield, MO	1 of 4	0.363 ppb	470
Town of Luke / Newpage Luke Mill	Luke, MD	1 of 2	0.355 ppb	68
Cape Girardeau County Public Water Supply District 4	Cape Girardeau, MO	1 of 4	0.340 ppb	1,575
Sandy Point Mobile Home	Lake Hopatcong, NJ	1 of 11	0.300 ppb	75
Greensboro Fire District 1	Greensboro, VT	1 of 9	0.289 ppb	551
Whitefish Bay Waterworks	Whitefish Bay, WI	1 of 1	0.280 ppb	14,272
Chain O Lakes Village PWS	Eagle Rock, MO	1 of 6	0.272 ppb	40
Village Guthrie Subdivision	Loranger, LA	2 of 4	0.250 ppb	405
Lincoln Tn Of SD 1	Whitehall, WI	1 of 1	0.250 ppb	300
Whitehall Waterworks*	Whitehall, WI	1 of 1	0.250 ppb	1,820
Covington Estates, Llc	Rome, GA	2 of 10	0.248 ppb	85
Fisherfield Townhouses	Quincy, NH	1 of 9	0.222 ppb	40

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Naphthalene, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Clive Water Department	Clive, IA	1 of 1	1.60 ppb	15,447
Greendale Waterworks	Greendale, WI	20 of 20	1.22 ppb	14,046
Massena Village	Massena, NY	1 of 1	0.900 ppb	15,387
Whitefish Bay Waterworks	Whitefish Bay, WI	1 of 1	0.280 ppb	14,272
Brookfield Water Utility	Brookfield, WI	1 of 2	0.125 ppb	29,070
US Army Aviation and Missile Command	Redstone Arsenal, AL	1 of 11	0.0356 ppb	38,700
City of Upland*	Upland, CA	1 of 83	0.0265 ppb	78,791
Denville Twp Water Department	Denville, NJ	1 of 56	0.0232 ppb	15,881
Windermere Community	Pflugerville, TX	1 of 54	0.0185 ppb	20,091
Wallingford Water Department	Wallingford, CT	1 of 35	0.0143 ppb	37,267
City of Columbus	Columbus, NE	1 of 98	0.0112 ppb	22,797
Livingston Twp Div of Water	Livingston Twp, NJ	1 of 141	0.00504 ppb	27,391
City of South Pasadena	South Pasadena, CA	1 of 387	0.00196 ppb	25,899