greg-cws
07-02-2009, 03:18 PM
Tap Water Quality Report
The State of Utah
459 Water Systems
Serving 3,712,230 People
Click here to view full report (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/statereport.php?state=UT&key=36839621&message=Successfully+updated+Supporter+information )
An Environmental Working Group analysis of tap water tests from 1998 through 2003 for 459 communities across Utah shows 57 pollutants were found in drinking water across the state.
Pollution Summary
57 Total Contaminants Detected (1998 - 2003)
11 Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Sulfate, Thallium (total), Phosphorus, Simazine, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, Bromomethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylbenzene
16 Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Cadmium (total), Copper, Lead (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Antimony (total), Phosphorus, Trichlorofluoromethane, Naphthalene, tert-Butylbenzene, Xylenes (total), Tetrachloroethylene, n-Propylbenzene
48 Industrial Pollutants
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Sulfate, Antimony (total), Beryllium (total), Thallium (total), Phosphorus, p-Isopropyltoluene, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Chloromethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Bromomethane, Trichlorofluoromethane, Hexachlorobutadiene, Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, tert-Butylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Xylenes (total), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), p-Dichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Isopropylbenzene, Styrene, n-Propylbenzene, Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Strontium-90, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
11 Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)
Cadmium (total), Asbestos, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Chloromethane, Bromochloromethane, Chloroform, Bromoform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Vinyl chloride
18 Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Chromium (total), Copper, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Sulfate, Phosphorus, Chloromethane, Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
16 Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants
Ammonia, Phosphorus, p-Isopropyltoluene, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, Chloromethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Bromomethane, Trichlorofluoromethane, Hexachlorobutadiene, Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, tert-Butylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Isopropylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, Strontium-90
Total pollutants Agricultural pollutants Sprawl and Urban pollutants Industrial pollutants Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts Naturally occurring pollutants
Number of pollutants detected (1998 - 2003) Over health based limits
NOTE: Health based limits included in this analysis include enforceable drinking water limits (called Maximum Contaminant Limits, or MCLs) as well as governmental, non-enforceable health guidelines, such as Maximum Contaminant Limit Goals (MCLGs), lifetime health advisory levels, one-day and ten-day advisory levels to protect children from non-cancer health endpoints, and other government-established health guidelines for tap water contaminants.
Health Summary
The federal government has set standards for 80 chemical pollutants in tap water, balancing health concerns and treatment costs.
Contaminants found in state tap water (1998-2003): 57
Total population exposed above health-based limits: 3,310,907
Communities served water with contaminants above health-based limits: 317
Health effects or target organs of contaminants found: Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicity, Cancer, Developmental Toxicity, Endocrine Toxicity, Immunotoxicity, Kidney Toxicity, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicity, Musculoskeletal Toxicity, Neurotoxicity, Reproductive Toxicity, Respiratory Toxicity, and Skin Sensitivity.
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_health.php?state=UT)
Contaminants found above health based limits: 30
Rank Contaminant Name Population Exposed (of 3,712,230 Total) Number of Water Systems (of 459) Total
At Any Level Above Health Limits
See Note With Detected Above Health Limits
See Note
1 Nitrate 3,547,236 535 400 2
Chemical that enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits
2 Sulfate 3,274,611 0 374 0
Substance from natural deposits, industrial processes, and agriculture
3 Barium (total) 2,687,027 106,430 360 3
Mineral from drilling and mining waste runoff; erosion of natrual deposits
4 Alpha particle activity 2,357,700 107,020 287 5
From mining waste polluants and natural sources
5 Arsenic (total) 1,864,778 1,864,778 265 265
Metal that enters water by erosion of natural deposits, runoff from glass and electronics processing
6 Nitrite 3,117,544 586,839 262 28
Chemical that enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits
7 Selenium (total) 1,846,134 0 252 0
Metal from mining or petrolum refining pollution; erosion of natural deposits
8 Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L) 1,421,819 0 197 0
Mainly pollutants from nuclear testing and industrial and medical instruments
9 Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 3,131,680 2,370,783 149 45
Measure of four disinfection by-products
10 Chloroform 2,877,903 866,602 112 12
Disinfection by-product
View Full Table (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/contaminants.php?state=UT&numbrows=20&startrow=0&orderby=pop_over&desc=1)
NOTE: Health based limits included in this analysis include enforceable drinking water limits (called Maximum Contaminant Limits, or MCLs) as well as governmental, non-enforceable health guidelines, such as Maximum Contaminant Limit Goals (MCLGs), lifetime health advisory levels, one-day and ten-day advisory levels to protect children from non-cancer health endpoints, and other government-established health guidelines for tap water contaminants.
Testing Summary
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Utah 125
Contaminants tested due to federal law: 76
Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 49
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_testing.php?state=UT)
Violations Summary
According to EPA, in 2003 6% of America's public water systems reported one or more violations of a health-based drinking water standard, and 26% reported significant violations of either monitoring and reporting requirements or health-based standards.
Reported violations (1998 - 2003): 3,090
Number of UT systems with violations: 365 (79.5%)
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_violations.php?state=UT)
Information on violations is drawn directly from EPA's national violations database in the Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System. Analyses by others have raised questions about the quality of the information in EPA's database. For the purposes of this investigation, EWG is not showing below or including in our analyses, those violations for individual water suppliers that occurred on days for which the total number of violations assigned by EPA to that water supplier was greater than 20. This criteria was based on common characteristics of incorrect violations data as identified by water utilities, from a review of EPA's violations data by several hundred utilities prior to the release of EWG's investigation.
The State of Utah
459 Water Systems
Serving 3,712,230 People
Click here to view full report (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/statereport.php?state=UT&key=36839621&message=Successfully+updated+Supporter+information )
An Environmental Working Group analysis of tap water tests from 1998 through 2003 for 459 communities across Utah shows 57 pollutants were found in drinking water across the state.
Pollution Summary
57 Total Contaminants Detected (1998 - 2003)
11 Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, Sulfate, Thallium (total), Phosphorus, Simazine, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, Bromomethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylbenzene
16 Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Cadmium (total), Copper, Lead (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Antimony (total), Phosphorus, Trichlorofluoromethane, Naphthalene, tert-Butylbenzene, Xylenes (total), Tetrachloroethylene, n-Propylbenzene
48 Industrial Pollutants
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Barium (total), Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Sulfate, Antimony (total), Beryllium (total), Thallium (total), Phosphorus, p-Isopropyltoluene, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Chloromethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Bromomethane, Trichlorofluoromethane, Hexachlorobutadiene, Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, tert-Butylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Xylenes (total), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), p-Dichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Isopropylbenzene, Styrene, n-Propylbenzene, Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Strontium-90, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
11 Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)
Cadmium (total), Asbestos, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Chloromethane, Bromochloromethane, Chloroform, Bromoform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Vinyl chloride
18 Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)
Ammonia, Arsenic (total), Chromium (total), Copper, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Silver (total), Sulfate, Phosphorus, Chloromethane, Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
16 Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants
Ammonia, Phosphorus, p-Isopropyltoluene, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, Chloromethane, Dichlorodifluoromethane, Bromomethane, Trichlorofluoromethane, Hexachlorobutadiene, Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, tert-Butylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Isopropylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, Strontium-90
Total pollutants Agricultural pollutants Sprawl and Urban pollutants Industrial pollutants Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts Naturally occurring pollutants
Number of pollutants detected (1998 - 2003) Over health based limits
NOTE: Health based limits included in this analysis include enforceable drinking water limits (called Maximum Contaminant Limits, or MCLs) as well as governmental, non-enforceable health guidelines, such as Maximum Contaminant Limit Goals (MCLGs), lifetime health advisory levels, one-day and ten-day advisory levels to protect children from non-cancer health endpoints, and other government-established health guidelines for tap water contaminants.
Health Summary
The federal government has set standards for 80 chemical pollutants in tap water, balancing health concerns and treatment costs.
Contaminants found in state tap water (1998-2003): 57
Total population exposed above health-based limits: 3,310,907
Communities served water with contaminants above health-based limits: 317
Health effects or target organs of contaminants found: Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicity, Cancer, Developmental Toxicity, Endocrine Toxicity, Immunotoxicity, Kidney Toxicity, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicity, Musculoskeletal Toxicity, Neurotoxicity, Reproductive Toxicity, Respiratory Toxicity, and Skin Sensitivity.
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_health.php?state=UT)
Contaminants found above health based limits: 30
Rank Contaminant Name Population Exposed (of 3,712,230 Total) Number of Water Systems (of 459) Total
At Any Level Above Health Limits
See Note With Detected Above Health Limits
See Note
1 Nitrate 3,547,236 535 400 2
Chemical that enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits
2 Sulfate 3,274,611 0 374 0
Substance from natural deposits, industrial processes, and agriculture
3 Barium (total) 2,687,027 106,430 360 3
Mineral from drilling and mining waste runoff; erosion of natrual deposits
4 Alpha particle activity 2,357,700 107,020 287 5
From mining waste polluants and natural sources
5 Arsenic (total) 1,864,778 1,864,778 265 265
Metal that enters water by erosion of natural deposits, runoff from glass and electronics processing
6 Nitrite 3,117,544 586,839 262 28
Chemical that enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits
7 Selenium (total) 1,846,134 0 252 0
Metal from mining or petrolum refining pollution; erosion of natural deposits
8 Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L) 1,421,819 0 197 0
Mainly pollutants from nuclear testing and industrial and medical instruments
9 Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 3,131,680 2,370,783 149 45
Measure of four disinfection by-products
10 Chloroform 2,877,903 866,602 112 12
Disinfection by-product
View Full Table (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/contaminants.php?state=UT&numbrows=20&startrow=0&orderby=pop_over&desc=1)
NOTE: Health based limits included in this analysis include enforceable drinking water limits (called Maximum Contaminant Limits, or MCLs) as well as governmental, non-enforceable health guidelines, such as Maximum Contaminant Limit Goals (MCLGs), lifetime health advisory levels, one-day and ten-day advisory levels to protect children from non-cancer health endpoints, and other government-established health guidelines for tap water contaminants.
Testing Summary
The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.
Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in Utah 125
Contaminants tested due to federal law: 76
Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 49
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_testing.php?state=UT)
Violations Summary
According to EPA, in 2003 6% of America's public water systems reported one or more violations of a health-based drinking water standard, and 26% reported significant violations of either monitoring and reporting requirements or health-based standards.
Reported violations (1998 - 2003): 3,090
Number of UT systems with violations: 365 (79.5%)
[View Details] (http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_violations.php?state=UT)
Information on violations is drawn directly from EPA's national violations database in the Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System. Analyses by others have raised questions about the quality of the information in EPA's database. For the purposes of this investigation, EWG is not showing below or including in our analyses, those violations for individual water suppliers that occurred on days for which the total number of violations assigned by EPA to that water supplier was greater than 20. This criteria was based on common characteristics of incorrect violations data as identified by water utilities, from a review of EPA's violations data by several hundred utilities prior to the release of EWG's investigation.