Asbestos
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Asbestos is a mineral fiber introduced into water by the dissolution of asbestos-containing minerals and from decay of asbestos cement in water mains. Asbestos causes cancer when ingested or inhaled.
Health concerns for asbestos
Cancer
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 7 MFL
The legal limit for asbestos, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s.
MFL = million fibers per liter
States reporting asbestos in drinking water
UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
---|---|---|---|
State | Utilities | People Served | |
Washington | 11 | 135,576 | |
California | 11 | 93,045 | |
New York | 10 | 65,529 | |
Louisiana | 10 | 43,415 | |
Oklahoma | 4 | 32,594 | |
Florida | 1 | 30,761 | |
New Jersey | 1 | 17,628 | |
Oregon | 3 | 13,583 | |
Texas | 3 | 13,281 | |
Iowa | 6 | 9,161 | |
Maine | 1 | 4,095 | |
Kansas | 2 | 2,531 | |
Wyoming | 1 | 76 |
Filtering technologies that reduce asbestos
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of asbestos, 2017-2019
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
City of Arp | Arp, TX | 22 of 22 | 18.95 MFL | 1,407 |
Carmel Water District 7 | Mahopac, NY | 1 of 1 | 6.40 MFL | 300 |
Ashford Highlands Mutual Water Company | Hollister, CA | 3 of 6 | 6.15 MFL | 85 |
North Ridge Water Corp | Arlington, WA | 1 of 3 | 6.00 MFL | 135 |
South Bainbridge* | Poulsbo, WA | 1 of 1 | 5.86 MFL | 2,863 |
Fcwwd #41/shaver Lake | Fresno, CA | 120 of 211 | 3.48 MFL | 2,170 |
Sunriver Water LLC/sunriver Utilities | Sunriver, OR | 1 of 1 | 2.71 MFL | 4,323 |
Union Parish Waterworks District 1 | Farmerville, LA | 4 of 16 | 2.41 MFL | 1,626 |
Tuttle* | Tuttle, OK | 1 of 1 | 2.40 MFL | 4,500 |
City of Devine | Devine, TX | 91 of 114 | 2.30 MFL | 4,350 |
Village of Dry Prong Water System | Dry Prong, LA | 2 of 4 | 2.30 MFL | 905 |
Athena Terrace Mutual Water Company | Santa Rosa, CA | 1 of 1 | 2.10 MFL | 74 |
Town Of Geneseo District 3 | Geneseo, NY | 1 of 1 | 2.00 MFL | 180 |
Germantown Water Department | Germantown, TN | 1 of 1 | 1.60 MFL | 37,897 |
Elk Creek Community Services District | Elk Creek, CA | 2 of 3 | 1.33 MFL | 300 |
Jefferson County Rural Water District 15 | Grantville, KS | 23 of 47 | 1.33 MFL | 228 |
Jefferson County Rural Water District 1* | Meriden, KS | 23 of 47 | 1.33 MFL | 2,303 |
Fairview Road Water System | Hollister, CA | 2 of 10 | 1.21 MFL | 40 |
Greenbush Water District | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1 of 1 | 1.20 MFL | 805 |
Arbors Condominiums Water District | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1 of 1 | 1.20 MFL | 450 |
Poughkeepsie Townwide Water District* | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1 of 1 | 1.20 MFL | 52,277 |
Hoquiam Water Department | Hoquiam, WA | 1 of 1 | 1.11 MFL | 8,726 |
Camp Dodge Water Supply | Johnston, IA | 1 of 1 | 1.00 MFL | 895 |
Green Acres Mutual Water | Morgan Hill, CA | 30 of 96 | 0.94 MFL | 53 |
Central Water Control and Improvement District of Angelina County | Pollok, TX | 3 of 19 | 0.93 MFL | 7,524 |
Aberdeen – Cliffwood/Cliffwood Beach | Aberdeen Township, NJ | 1 of 1 | 0.93 MFL | 6,775 |
Ellsworth Water Department | Surry, ME | 1 of 1 | 0.87 MFL | 4,095 |
Sirwa #3 (leon) | Creston, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.79 MFL | 2,395 |
Leon Water Supply* | Leon, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.79 MFL | 1,977 |
Lander County Sewer and Water District 2 Austin | Austin, NV | 1 of 1 | 0.73 MFL | 350 |
Hilton Village | Hilton, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.73 MFL | 5,856 |
Bainbridge Village | Sidney, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.69 MFL | 1,550 |
Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company | Madera, CA | 2 of 14 | 0.65 MFL | 5,921 |
Ashland Water and Sewer Department* | Ashland, MA | 2 of 3 | 0.65 MFL | 16,593 |
Summit Water Distribution Company* | Park City, UT | 2 of 2 | 0.59 MFL | 6,000 |
Mandeville Water Supply | Mandeville, LA | 2 of 4 | 0.50 MFL | 13,000 |
Hide-a-way Mobile Village | Cheyenne, WY | 1 of 2 | 0.47 MFL | 76 |
Maple View Manor Mobile Home Park | Fayetteville, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.44 MFL | 67 |
Mountain Of Attention Water | Lower Lake, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.40 MFL | 90 |
Stevenson Water Department | Stevenson, WA | 1 of 1 | 0.39 MFL | 1,530 |
Clallam Bay Sekiu | Carlsborg, WA | 1 of 1 | 0.37 MFL | 1,660 |
Hampton Water Association | Everson, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.34 MFL | 54 |
Everson City Of* | Everson, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.34 MFL | 2,780 |
Everson Water Assoc | Everson, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.34 MFL | 130 |
Cedar Hills Water Association | Gillette, WY | 1 of 1 | 0.20 MFL | 258 |
Roberts Creek Water District | Roseburg, OR | 1 of 1 | 0.20 MFL | 6,500 |
City of Auburndale | Auburndale, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.20 MFL | 30,761 |
Allegany County Water District #1 | Belmont, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.19 MFL | 200 |
Belmont Village Public Water* | Belmont, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.19 MFL | 2,600 |
Waddington Village | Waddington, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.19 MFL | 944 |
* 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 Asbestos, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
Germantown Water Department | Germantown, TN | 1 of 1 | 1.60 MFL | 37,897 |
Poughkeepsie Townwide Water District* | Poughkeepsie, NY | 1 of 1 | 1.20 MFL | 52,277 |
Ashland Water and Sewer Department* | Ashland, MA | 2 of 3 | 0.65 MFL | 16,593 |
Mandeville Water Supply | Mandeville, LA | 2 of 4 | 0.50 MFL | 13,000 |
City of Auburndale | Auburndale, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.20 MFL | 30,761 |
Boulder City* | Boulder City, NV | 2 of 2 | 0.18 MFL | 15,000 |
Del City | Del City, OK | 1 of 1 | 0.16 MFL | 22,128 |
City of Anacortes* | Mount Vernon, WA | 2 of 16 | 0.13 MFL | 16,780 |
City of Ukiah | Ukiah, CA | 1 of 3 | 0.07 MFL | 16,185 |
City of Riverton | Riverton, WY | 1 of 3 | 0.07 MFL | 10,001 |
PBCWUD - Lake Region WTP - System 11 | West Palm Beach, FL | 1 of 4 | 0.05 MFL | 30,536 |
Island Water Association | Sanibel Island, FL | 1 of 5 | 0.04 MFL | 14,692 |
City of Petaluma* | Petaluma, CA | 1 of 9 | 0.03 MFL | 55,900 |
Great Oaks Water Company Inc.* | San Jose, CA | 1 of 19 | 0.01 MFL | 99,199 |
Sparta Twp Water Utility - Lake Mohawk | Sparta, NJ | 1 of 21 | 0.00 MFL | 17,628 |
* 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 Asbestos, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.