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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Glyphosate

Status: National drinking water standard exists

 

Glyphosate is the weedkiller marketed as Roundup. The state of California classifies glyphosate as a chemical known to cause cancer. Read More.

Glyphosate is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and has been linked to increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in people. Exposure to glyphosate during pregnancy may affect fetal development.

2017-2019:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

7

states detected

130

utilities detected

419,000

people served

2

states over health guideline

3

utilities over health guideline

25,220

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for glyphosate

Cancer

Harm to fetal growth

Harm to the kidney

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 5 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 5 ppb for glyphosate was defined by EWG as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 700 ppb

The legal limit for glyphosate, established in 1992, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals conducted in the 1980s. This limit does not account for the cancer risks of glyphosate and does not include any additional consideration of children’s health.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting glyphosate in drinking water

UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served UtilitiesPeople Served
Iowa1857114229,001
Oklahoma00179,408
California00142,595
Florida00940,464
Kentucky224,363327,575
Minnesota001235
Louisiana001111
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce glyphosate

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of glyphosate, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Southern Water & Sewer District*Mcdowell, KY1 of 95.78 ppb22,480
Winthrop Water SupplyWinthrop, IA1 of 15.49 ppb857
Turkey Creek Water System*Gilbert, LA2 of 144.77 ppb1,248
South Bayou Macon WsGilbert, LA2 of 144.77 ppb1,443
Calmar Water SupplyCalmar, IA1 of 14.73 ppb983
Ridgeway, City ofRidgeway, IA1 of 14.54 ppb315
Shellsburg Water SupplyShellsburg, IA1 of 14.39 ppb985
Riverside Water SupplyRiverside, IA1 of 14.29 ppb993
City of El CentroEl Centro, CA1 of 83.50 ppb42,595
Corridor Ridge SubdivisionWalford, IA1 of 13.46 ppb108
Hanlontown Water Supply SystemHanlontown, IA1 of 13.44 ppb244
Silver City Water SupplyOmaha, IA1 of 13.23 ppb245
Ralston Water Treatment PlantGlidden, IA1 of 13.22 ppb79
Worthington Water SupplyWorthington, IA1 of 13.20 ppb401
Lake Park Country Club DriveLake Park, IA1 of 13.13 ppb84
Little Rock Water SupplyLittle Rock, IA1 of 13.13 ppb461
Ashton Municipal Water DepartmentAshton, IA1 of 13.13 ppb468
Harris Water SupplySibley, IA1 of 13.13 ppb170
Osceola Rural Water System-north*May City, IA1 of 13.13 ppb4,337
Melvin WaterworksSibley, IA1 of 13.13 ppb214
Sibley Public Water SupplySibley, IA1 of 13.13 ppb2,808
Lake Park Municipal UtilitiesLake Park, IA1 of 13.13 ppb1,026
BigelowBigelow, MN1 of 13.13 ppb235
Table Mound ParkDubuque, IA2 of 23.09 ppb455
Waldschmidt SubdivisionIowa City, IA1 of 13.01 ppb45
St. Lucie Mobile VillageIndiantown, FL1 of 23.00 ppb750
Polk City SystemPolk City, FL1 of 93.00 ppb2,568
Tariffville Fire District Water DepartmentTariffville, CT1 of 23.00 ppb1,477
Hastings Water SupplyOmaha, IA1 of 12.98 ppb152
Hawkeye Water SupplyHawkeye, IA1 of 12.95 ppb449
ShilohKalona, IA1 of 12.92 ppb118
Wadena Water SystemWadena, IA1 of 12.79 ppb262
Fleming-neon Water CompanyNeon, KY1 of 102.60 ppb3,212
Jamaica Water SupplyJamaica, IA1 of 12.55 ppb224
Elgin Municipal Water SupplyElgin, IA1 of 12.53 ppb690
Egan Water CorporationEgan, LA2 of 82.53 ppb4,980
Thunder Hills Home & Utility AssociationEpworth, IA1 of 12.44 ppb300
Winfield Muni Water DepartmentWinfield, IA1 of 22.43 ppb1,134
Lansing Water SupplyLansing, IA1 of 12.40 ppb999
Waucoma Water SupplyCalmar, IA1 of 12.39 ppb257
Postville Water DepartmentPostville, IA1 of 22.35 ppb2,232
Glenwood Municipal UtilitiesGlenwood, IA1 of 12.33 ppb5,740
Springville Water SupplySpringville, IA1 of 22.27 ppb1,078
New Sharon Water SupplyNew Sharon, IA1 of 12.25 ppb1,293
Carriage Place Estates Homeowners AssociationDavenport, IA1 of 12.16 ppb125
Clayton Water SupplyClayton, IA1 of 12.11 ppb43
Shagbark EstatesDubuque, IA1 of 12.10 ppb38
Mangonia Park, Town ofMangonia Park, FL1 of 22.10 ppb2,388
Florida Pines Mobile Home ParkVenice, FL1 of 22.10 ppb280
Vinton Municipal Water DepartmentVinton, IA1 of 12.00 ppb5,257

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

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Southern Water & Sewer District*Mcdowell, KY1 of 95.78 ppb22,480
City of El CentroEl Centro, CA1 of 83.50 ppb42,595
Burlington Municipal Waterworks*Burlington, IA1 of 11.67 ppb25,619
Ottumwa Water Works*Ottumwa, IA1 of 10.580 ppb25,023
City of HendersonHenderson, NV1 of 140.364 ppb321,781
CentralWinter Haven, FL1 of 200.325 ppb13,595
Miramar (East & West) PlantsMiramar, FL1 of 160.263 ppb127,700
Boulder City*Boulder City, NV2 of 440.255 ppb15,000
Tulsa*Tulsa, OK1 of 90.244 ppb471,000
Rogers County RWD # 3 Cot Sta*Claremore, OK1 of 90.244 ppb10,750
Jenks PWAJenks, OK1 of 90.244 ppb16,924
OwassoOwasso, OK1 of 90.244 ppb23,000
Glenpool Water*Glenpool, OK1 of 90.244 ppb12,500
Bixby Public Works Authority*Bixby, OK1 of 90.244 ppb18,750
Central IA Water Assn (Waverly)*Newton, IA1 of 20.1000 ppb34,245
City of Edmond - Arcadia Lake*Arcadia, OK2 of 2650.0453 ppb79,408

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