Dibromoacetic acid

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Dibromoacetic acid, one of the group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards, is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Haloacetic acids and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

states detected

15,459

utilities detected

165 million

people served

states over health guideline

15,346

utilities over health guideline

156 million

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for dibromoacetic acid

Cancer

Change to fetal growth and development

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.04 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.04 ppb for dibromoacetic acid was defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG and represents a on-in-a-million lifetime cancer risk level. This health guideline protects against cancer.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting dibromoacetic acid in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		985	29,582,838			997	30,608,367
Texas		2,800	25,809,190			2,804	25,954,936
Illinois		864	10,233,277			869	10,346,323
Ohio		848	9,518,386			850	9,603,780
Pennsylvania		617	7,844,393			624	8,291,721
New Jersey		293	7,076,680			302	7,663,943
North Carolina		455	6,101,752			461	6,835,541
New York		808	5,893,741			814	6,668,442
Louisiana		901	4,785,943			903	4,786,972
Virginia		192	4,125,996			197	4,673,550
Colorado		385	4,165,828			388	4,219,313
Wisconsin		452	3,626,055			470	3,726,764
Missouri		396	3,202,355			399	3,689,532
Oklahoma		488	3,018,052			488	3,018,052
South Carolina		208	2,663,255			212	2,895,950
Nevada		51	2,704,888			51	2,704,888
Massachusetts		119	2,510,713			121	2,642,973
Georgia		97	1,794,063			102	2,410,251
Arkansas		391	1,729,403			396	2,201,790
Iowa		552	2,043,087			553	2,053,867
Utah		125	1,490,498			129	2,023,180
Kansas		794	1,827,911			795	1,828,428
Connecticut		148	1,685,018			153	1,815,688
New Mexico		269	1,804,612			270	1,808,351
Michigan		205	1,635,427			206	1,733,737
Minnesota		190	1,495,220			191	1,511,313
West Virginia		314	1,323,178			319	1,340,403
Washington		278	1,295,701			279	1,314,801
Nebraska		127	1,239,666			127	1,239,666
Hawaii		50	327,770			51	959,159
Mississippi		211	883,448			211	883,448
Delaware		37	499,204			40	804,912
North Dakota		175	572,020			175	572,020
Rhode Island		23	389,121			24	477,901
Montana		195	474,136			195	474,166
Wyoming		154	309,872			145	309,710
New Hampshire		62	255,619			62	255,619
Kentucky		6	166,510			4	70,859
Alaska		47	65,394			47	65,394
Idaho		5	59,747			5	59,747
Maryland		5	9,868			6	25,493
Alabama		1	18,000			1	18,000
Vermont		11	17,580			11	17,580
Maine		11	9,529			11	9,529
South Dakota		1	296			1	296

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce dibromoacetic acid

Utilities with the highest amounts of dibromoacetic acid, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Litroe Water System	Marion, LA	92 of 96	37.5 ppb	369
Pleasant Hills-crossroads Water Systems	Joyce, LA	104 of 104	36.6 ppb	840
Wards Chapel Water System	Farmerville, LA	92 of 92	34.5 ppb	1,350
Country Estates Water System South	West Monroe, LA	20 of 20	34.3 ppb	600
Town of Plain Dealing Water System	Plain Dealing, LA	90 of 92	33.0 ppb	2,733
Bianchi Flowers Inc.	Pescadero, CA	10 of 14	29.1 ppb	65
Linville-haile Water System	Marion, LA	90 of 96	28.1 ppb	1,635
Concord Water System	Marion, LA	92 of 96	27.9 ppb	426
Mountain Park Public Works Authority	Mountain Park, OK	23 of 24	27.5 ppb	473
Jones Mcginty Water System	Jones, LA	98 of 98	27.2 ppb	801
Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park	Dundee, NY	9 of 9	27.1 ppb	39
Rowena Water Supply Corporation	Rowena, TX	24 of 24	26.2 ppb	480
Village of Calvin Water System	Calvin, LA	94 of 96	24.6 ppb	591
Chesapeake Shores	Rockville, VA	4 of 4	24.2 ppb	56
Turtle Cove Lot Owners Association	Freeport, TX	24 of 24	23.6 ppb	66
Valley Ford Water Association	Valley Ford, CA	3 of 3	23.2 ppb	40
Comanche County Rural Water District #4*	Cache, OK	43 of 43	22.2 ppb	3,000
Sardis Water System	Gilbert, LA	96 of 96	21.9 ppb	1,404
Hidden Oaks Subdivision Ws	West Monroe, LA	44 of 72	21.4 ppb	315
Country Estates Water System North	West Monroe, LA	66 of 74	21.2 ppb	597
City of Paint Rock	Paint Rock, TX	23 of 24	20.6 ppb	273
Millersview-doole Water Supply Corporation*	Millersview, TX	48 of 48	20.1 ppb	3,987
Manitou	Tipton, OK	20 of 20	20.1 ppb	278
Ericksdahl Water Supply Corporation	Stamford, TX	43 of 43	19.9 ppb	275
Coke County Water Supply Corporation	Robert Lee, TX	43 of 46	19.6 ppb	400
Norton, City of	Norton, KS	24 of 24	19.5 ppb	2,768
Blair Water Supply Corporation	Merkel, TX	44 of 44	19.4 ppb	950
Panoramic Mesa Subdivision	Silt, CO	15 of 15	19.3 ppb	45
Rocky Branch Water System	Farmerville, LA	88 of 88	19.0 ppb	1,410
Pecan Lake Subdivision Ws	West Monroe, LA	46 of 74	18.9 ppb	57
Marion Water System*	Marion, LA	88 of 92	18.9 ppb	1,146
Ramsey Water System	West Monroe, LA	46 of 72	18.8 ppb	60
Holmesville Water System*	Downsville, LA	98 of 98	18.8 ppb	2,310
Wildwood Mobile Home Park Ws	West Monroe, LA	44 of 72	18.7 ppb	72
Nueces County WCID 3*	Robstown, TX	95 of 96	18.5 ppb	14,607
Union Parish Waterworks District 1	Farmerville, LA	70 of 72	18.4 ppb	1,626
Tx Airstream Harbor Water	Zavalla, TX	20 of 24	18.4 ppb	174
Lincoln Hills Subdivision Ws	West Monroe, LA	46 of 76	18.3 ppb	150
City of Lueders	Lueders, TX	42 of 44	18.1 ppb	346
Pappas & Company (mendota)	Mendota, CA	23 of 24	17.9 ppb	25
Eagle Cove Water Association	Friday Harbor, WA	8 of 8	17.8 ppb	60
Indiahoma Public Works Authority	Indiahoma, OK	20 of 23	17.5 ppb	350
Darbonne Ws South	Bernice, LA	66 of 68	17.4 ppb	3,054
San Luis Hills	Los Banos, CA	25 of 25	17.4 ppb	300
River Acres Water Supply Corporation	Robstown, TX	36 of 36	17.3 ppb	2,700
West Sterlington Water System	Sterlington, LA	26 of 36	17.0 ppb	978
Better Waterworks Water System*	West Monroe, LA	44 of 92	16.9 ppb	2,160
Windham Terrace	Merrimack, NH	3 of 3	16.7 ppb	110
Salem Water System	Farmerville, LA	72 of 86	16.6 ppb	753
Backwood Village Water System	Saline, LA	60 of 72	16.4 ppb	783

* 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 Dibromoacetic acid, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Nueces County WCID 3*	Robstown, TX	95 of 96	18.5 ppb	14,607
Brownville Water System	West Monroe, LA	94 of 104	15.8 ppb	10,872
City of Abilene*	Abilene, TX	192 of 192	14.2 ppb	123,886
Military Highway WSC - Las Rusias WTP	Progreso, TX	82 of 82	13.8 ppb	14,292
City of Lemoore	Lemoore, CA	87 of 88	13.6 ppb	24,945
City of San Angelo*	San Angelo, TX	192 of 192	12.9 ppb	100,450
Agua SUD	Mission, TX	96 of 96	12.9 ppb	46,872
City of Beeville	Beeville, TX	96 of 96	12.7 ppb	15,039
City of Mineral Wells*	Mineral Wells, TX	89 of 96	12.4 ppb	14,826
City of Edinburg	Edinburg, TX	192 of 192	11.6 ppb	85,224
City of San Juan	San Juan, TX	94 of 96	11.6 ppb	30,027
City of Rockport*	Rockport, TX	96 of 96	11.3 ppb	27,282
Laguna Madre Water District	Port Isabel, TX	95 of 96	11.2 ppb	19,908
West Hwy 80 Ark Road WS	West Monroe, LA	138 of 192	10.7 ppb	13,386
City of Raymondville	Raymondville, TX	88 of 88	10.6 ppb	11,288
City of Midland	Midland, TX	159 of 192	10.3 ppb	132,950
Hudson Water Supply Corporation	Lufkin, TX	46 of 46	10.3 ppb	10,211
City of Mission	Mission, TX	96 of 96	10.3 ppb	77,058
McAllen Public Utility	Mcallen, TX	188 of 192	10.2 ppb	173,388
City of Mercedes*	Mercedes, TX	93 of 95	10.1 ppb	15,700
Nueces County WCID 4	Port Aransas, TX	88 of 88	10.0 ppb	11,403
Southwest Ouachita Waterworks Inc.	West Monroe, LA	104 of 108	9.75 ppb	10,092
City of Donna	Donna, TX	92 of 96	9.66 ppb	16,176
City of Pharr	Pharr, TX	188 of 192	9.59 ppb	77,320
West Monroe Water System	West Monroe, LA	184 of 192	9.56 ppb	15,930
Weirton Area Water Board*	Weirton, WV	96 of 96	9.47 ppb	22,694
Altus*	Altus, OK	100 of 100	9.17 ppb	21,477
City of Hays*	Hays, KS	93 of 94	9.06 ppb	20,852
City of Portland	Portland, TX	96 of 96	9.06 ppb	21,501
City of San Benito	San Benito, TX	88 of 88	8.99 ppb	24,250
City of Alamo	Alamo, TX	95 of 96	8.83 ppb	18,363
City of Rio Grande City*	Rio Grande City, TX	96 of 96	8.44 ppb	17,901
Lemoore Naval Air Station	Nas Lemoore, CA	115 of 117	8.42 ppb	11,500
City of Snyder*	Snyder, TX	86 of 96	8.34 ppb	10,783
City of Weslaco*	Weslaco, TX	96 of 96	8.32 ppb	32,092
Coalinga	Coalinga, CA	77 of 84	8.32 ppb	19,362
Harlingen Water Works System*	Harlingen, TX	185 of 191	8.19 ppb	85,900
City of Hanford	Hanford, CA	63 of 64	7.94 ppb	55,880
Quartz Hill Water District*	Quartz Hill, CA	91 of 92	7.86 ppb	22,000
Kempner WSC*	Kempner, TX	95 of 96	7.78 ppb	19,313
Ector County Utility District	Odessa, TX	166 of 192	7.67 ppb	15,300
City of Odessa*	Odessa, TX	166 of 192	7.67 ppb	97,802
Zapata County Waterworks SWTP*	Zapata, TX	95 of 96	7.61 ppb	11,625
Sharyland Water Supply Corporation	Mission, TX	95 of 96	7.55 ppb	57,045
East Rio Hondo WSC*	Rio Hondo, TX	86 of 96	7.46 ppb	21,726
Los Angeles County WW District 4 & 34-Lancaster	Alhambra, CA	84 of 96	7.41 ppb	180,131
City of Junction City*	Junction City, KS	95 of 95	7.24 ppb	22,120
City of Minot*	Minot, ND	96 of 96	7.15 ppb	48,743
City of Hollister	Hollister, CA	111 of 118	7.10 ppb	36,108
City of Corpus Christi*	Corpus Christi, TX	288 of 288	7.00 ppb	325,733