Arsenic

Status: National drinking water standard exists

Arsenic is a potent carcinogen and common contaminant in drinking water. Arsenic causes thousands of cases of cancer each year in the U.S. Click here to read more about arsenic.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

13,535

utilities detected

108 million

people served

states over health guideline

13,768

utilities over health guideline

109 million

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

338

utilities over legal limit

543,000

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for arsenic

Cancer

Harm to the central nervous system

Harm to the brain and nervous system

Skin damage

Change to the heart and blood vessels

Increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.004 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.004 ppb for arsenic 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) 10 ppb

The legal limit for arsenic, established in 2001, was based on costs for arsenic removal, as calculated at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to arsenic exposure.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting arsenic in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		1,275	25,199,048			1,274	25,196,548
Texas		1,696	12,260,391			1,653	12,178,379
Florida		737	11,327,918			737	11,327,918
Arizona		427	6,162,168			427	6,162,168
Illinois		896	4,075,389			840	3,998,296
New Jersey		157	3,968,789			155	3,966,581
Louisiana		391	3,503,229			380	3,498,137
New York		447	3,170,858			447	3,168,784
Utah		371	3,055,227			371	3,055,227
Washington		935	3,037,088			935	3,037,088
Wisconsin		492	2,923,296			484	2,857,005
Colorado		308	2,831,141			308	2,831,141
Nevada		159	2,806,629			158	2,806,371
Kansas		629	2,382,222			603	2,360,217
Pennsylvania		363	1,777,279			361	1,776,357
Indiana		272	1,713,117			271	1,712,747
New Mexico		301	1,637,631			301	1,637,631
Nebraska		366	1,365,309			358	1,363,548
Oklahoma		143	1,222,747			140	1,221,670
Virginia		100	1,185,756			99	1,184,429
Oregon		240	1,156,059			240	1,156,059
Kentucky		126	1,093,329			123	1,084,317
Idaho		398	988,278			398	988,278
Mississippi		235	826,803			235	826,803
Missouri		148	796,262			137	792,467
Alabama		37	789,930			35	788,130
Iowa		145	759,850			124	746,239
Minnesota		266	728,624			266	728,624
Hawaii		6	677,588			6	677,588
Michigan		181	664,780			180	658,299
District Of Columbia		4	664,572			3	648,882
Ohio		159	497,269			157	486,606
Montana		282	460,448			274	457,821
Massachusetts		62	457,154			62	457,154
Alaska		67	294,685			67	294,685
Tennessee		25	297,599			24	291,621
Wyoming		86	250,580			72	245,400
Connecticut		59	233,127			59	233,127
South Dakota		34	216,359			33	212,534
Maryland		95	204,873			95	204,873
Rhode Island		14	202,168			14	202,168
New Hampshire		276	199,455			276	199,455
Maine		159	138,716			159	138,716
Delaware		26	123,100			26	123,100
West Virginia		50	91,675			49	91,311
Georgia		38	80,585			38	80,585
Arkansas		16	49,433			16	49,433
North Dakota		31	36,226			27	33,001
Vermont		18	11,245			18	11,245
North Carolina		16	8,914			16	8,914
South Carolina		4	2,827			4	2,827

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce arsenic

Utilities with the highest amounts of arsenic, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Winterhaven Mobile Estates	Lancaster, CA	11 of 11	47.6 ppb	40
Paakweree Village Water Co-op Association Inc.	Albuquerque, NM	24 of 24	46.5 ppb	126
The Village Mobile Home Park	Lancaster, CA	23 of 23	44.3 ppb	70
Valley Teen Ranch	Fresno, CA	1 of 1	44.0 ppb	50
Keeler Community Service District	Keeler, CA	1 of 1	43.0 ppb	50
Sunset Apartments Water System	North Edwards, CA	24 of 24	42.4 ppb	37
Beaverhead Jackson Water and Sewer District	Jackson, MT	8 of 9	41.0 ppb	58
Boron Community Services District	Boron, CA	56 of 56	40.1 ppb	2,253
Village At Rockport #4	Camden, ME	1 of 1	37.6 ppb	40
Grand Blanc Township	Muskegon, MI	32 of 32	37.0 ppb	21,000
Sierra East Mobile Home Community	Coleville, CA	21 of 21	37.0 ppb	50
Aerial Acres Water Company Inc.	Ridgecrest, CA	17 of 17	35.6 ppb	172
City of Seagraves	Seagraves, TX	37 of 37	35.1 ppb	2,417
Old Forty West Motel	Reno, NV	12 of 12	34.9 ppb	40
El Nido Mobile Home Park	Fair Oaks, CA	55 of 55	34.6 ppb	125
Cameron Acres	Anchorage, AK	6 of 6	34.5 ppb	35
Klondike Independent School District	Lamesa, TX	24 of 24	34.1 ppb	264
Desert Lake Community Services District	Boron, CA	18 of 18	33.6 ppb	792
Fountain Trailer Park Water	Calabasas, CA	2 of 2	33.0 ppb	68
Monterey Park Tract Community Services District	Ceres, CA	12 of 12	32.4 ppb	186
Bruni Rural Water Supply Corporation	Bruni, TX	1 of 1	32.1 ppb	350
Cantua Creek Vineyards IV LLC	Ceres, CA	23 of 24	31.0 ppb	50
Doubletree Ranch Water System	Livermore, CA	31 of 31	30.9 ppb	49
North Edwards Water District	North Edwards, CA	50 of 50	30.9 ppb	600
Lucky 18 On Rosamond LLC	Roslyn, CA	24 of 24	30.5 ppb	73
Village At Rockport #2	Camden, ME	1 of 1	30.2 ppb	30
Village At Rockport #3	Camden, ME	1 of 1	30.1 ppb	25
Westhaven Mobile Home Park, Llc	West Bloomfield, MI	1 of 1	30.0 ppb	122
Duval County Crd Benavides	Benavides, TX	47 of 48	29.9 ppb	1,362
Chrisman	Chrisman, IL	19 of 19	28.4 ppb	1,200
Csa 70 W-4 Pioneertown	Victorville, CA	38 of 39	28.1 ppb	625
Country Villa Mobile Home Park	Beeville, TX	6 of 6	27.9 ppb	96
Kb Sub. Water Service Association	Soldotna, AK	25 of 25	27.6 ppb	170
American Realty Mortgage Company	Maricopa, AZ	19 of 19	27.5 ppb	56
Locke Water Works Company [sws]	Walnut Grove, CA	23 of 24	27.3 ppb	80
North Branch, Village of	Greenville, MI	2 of 2	27.0 ppb	1,021
Rim Rock Water Company	Grover Beach, CA	10 of 12	27.0 ppb	55
Edgewater Mobile Home Park	Granite Bay, CA	23 of 23	25.7 ppb	40
Village At Rockport #1	Camden, ME	1 of 1	25.4 ppb	28
Water District 19	Vashon, WA	16 of 16	25.3 ppb	3,723
Vieira's Resort Inc.	Isleton, CA	46 of 47	25.2 ppb	150
Knoll Enterprises	Ludlow, CA	36 of 36	24.7 ppb	500
City of Wellman	Wellman, TX	24 of 24	24.6 ppb	225
Perry Water Supply Corporation	Riesel, TX	24 of 24	24.0 ppb	420
Country Hills Estates	Arroyo Grande, CA	31 of 31	24.0 ppb	60
B & W Resort Marina	Isleton, CA	9 of 9	23.9 ppb	100
Tacna Water Management Company	Yuma, AZ	23 of 23	23.8 ppb	200
Colusa County Water District #1 - Grimes	Grimes, CA	23 of 23	23.7 ppb	500
Cuyama Community Services District	New Cuyama, CA	79 of 79	23.2 ppb	820
Bridgeport Public Utility District	Bridgeport, CA	47 of 48	22.8 ppb	850

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Grand Blanc Township	Muskegon, MI	32 of 32	37.0 ppb	21,000
Arvin Community Services District	Arvin, CA	131 of 133	19.3 ppb	19,000
Camino Real Regional Utility Authority	Sunland Park, NM	63 of 68	13.8 ppb	17,016
City of Andrews	Andrews, TX	26 of 26	12.3 ppb	11,088
Horizon Regional MUD	Horizon City, TX	6 of 6	11.7 ppb	31,542
Cecilia Water Corporation	Cecilia, LA	48 of 48	11.5 ppb	11,529
City of Midland	Midland, TX	28 of 33	10.9 ppb	132,950
City of Plaquemine Water System*	Plaquemine, LA	56 of 60	10.8 ppb	14,043
City of Livingston	Livingston, CA	517 of 545	9.57 ppb	14,894
Anthony Water & Sanitation District	Anthony, NM	17 of 17	9.54 ppb	10,965
Valley of The Moon Water District	El Verano, CA	29 of 33	9.52 ppb	22,536
Normal*	Normal, IL	3 of 5	9.10 ppb	44,197
Military Highway WSC - Las Rusias WTP	Progreso, TX	27 of 28	9.03 ppb	14,292
City of Columbus	Columbus, NE	11 of 11	8.93 ppb	22,797
Lamont Public Utility District	Bakersfield, CA	71 of 71	8.82 ppb	18,290
Perkasie Regional Authority	Sellersville, PA	273 of 290	8.79 ppb	15,000
City of Norfolk	Norfolk, NE	2 of 2	8.67 ppb	24,500
City of McFarland	Mcfarland, CA	126 of 128	8.53 ppb	12,333
Acton Water Supply District	Acton, MA	75 of 98	8.44 ppb	20,890
City of Bay City	Bay City, TX	40 of 40	8.43 ppb	17,614
Espanola Water System*	Espanola, NM	31 of 31	8.35 ppb	12,012
Warrington Twp Water&sew Dept	Warrington, PA	7 of 8	8.34 ppb	21,588
Sahuarita Water Company	Tucson, AZ	26 of 26	8.23 ppb	16,200
Wilmington Water Department	Wilmington, MA	34 of 64	8.23 ppb	22,325
City of Turlock*	Turlock, CA	79 of 79	8.12 ppb	64,215
City of El Mirage	El Mirage, AZ	39 of 39	7.96 ppb	39,884
City of La Palma	La Palma, CA	183 of 183	7.92 ppb	16,500
Epcor Water - Paradise Valley/Scottsdale	Youngtown, AZ	25 of 25	7.68 ppb	12,000
IL American - Homer Township	Belleville, IL	2 of 2	7.63 ppb	20,237
Lovington Municipal Water Supply	Lovington, NM	2 of 2	7.55 ppb	13,231
University of New Mexico	Albuquerque, NM	2 of 2	7.50 ppb	35,000
Rosamond CSD	Rosamond, CA	230 of 231	7.48 ppb	16,618
Global Water - Santa Cruz Water Company	Maricopa, AZ	92 of 92	7.42 ppb	17,005
US Army Fort Irwin	Fort Irwin, CA	297 of 472	7.38 ppb	16,000
Twentynine Palms Water District	Twentynine Palms, CA	129 of 140	7.28 ppb	18,600
Victorville Water District	Victorville, CA	585 of 589	7.21 ppb	111,649
Wasilla Water System	Wasilla, AK	30 of 32	7.14 ppb	18,222
Los Lunas Water System	Los Lunas, NM	29 of 29	7.06 ppb	18,289
City of Sonoma	Sonoma, CA	55 of 55	7.02 ppb	10,807
City of Show Low	Show Low, AZ	167 of 167	6.98 ppb	17,139
Epcor Water - Sun City	Youngtown, AZ	35 of 35	6.93 ppb	38,016
Mokena	Mokena, IL	6 of 6	6.88 ppb	20,305
City of Lemoore	Lemoore, CA	1161 of 1,350	6.84 ppb	24,945
Liberty Water Lpsco*	Avondale, AZ	128 of 128	6.83 ppb	50,045
Quartz Hill Water District*	Quartz Hill, CA	20 of 20	6.81 ppb	22,000
Endicott Municipal Water Works	Endicott, NY	6 of 8	6.81 ppb	45,000
City of Galt	Galt, CA	192 of 194	6.74 ppb	22,982
Arizona Water Company - Sedona	Phoenix, AZ	111 of 112	6.71 ppb	12,191
Lehi City	Lehi, UT	25 of 27	6.69 ppb	66,037
City of Lincoln*	Lincoln, NE	7 of 7	6.68 ppb	280,369

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