Beryllium

Status: National drinking water standard exists

Beryllium is a toxic metal that is both naturally occurring and released into the environment from industrial pollution and incineration. Beryllium can damage lungs, bones and the digestive system.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

338

utilities detected

5.0 million

people served

states over health guideline

utilities over health guideline

55,477

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

utilities over legal limit

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for beryllium

Harm to the stomach and intestines

Harm to the lungs

Harm to bones

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppb for beryllium 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 harm to the stomach and intestines.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 4 ppb

The legal limit for beryllium, established in 1992, was based on a toxicity study in laboratory animals published in 1970. This limit does not include any additional consideration of children’s health.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting beryllium in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
Colorado		0	0			46	1,826,856
Virginia		3	258			13	752,706
Florida		1	220			37	604,874
New Jersey		1	75			38	522,348
New York		3	44,700			23	356,187
Kentucky		1	1,291			31	271,368
Maryland		0	0			6	123,390
South Carolina		0	0			3	68,462
Louisiana		0	0			12	67,543
Pennsylvania		2	1,123			11	57,713
Iowa		0	0			10	53,201
Delaware		1	60			10	48,718
Rhode Island		0	0			6	48,643
Alabama		0	0			11	45,942
Oregon		0	0			7	40,918
Indiana		1	6,137			13	37,129
Illinois		0	0			5	22,200
Wisconsin		0	0			10	21,251
New Hampshire		6	1,082			10	13,982
Connecticut		0	0			17	13,548
Nevada		0	0			1	8,538
California		1	160			4	5,713
Montana		1	40			3	420
Maine		0	0			1	270
Washington		1	45			4	200
Massachusetts		1	107			2	165
Texas		1	69			1	69
North Carolina		1	60			1	60
Georgia		0	0			1	52
Arizona		1	50			1	50

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce beryllium

Utilities with the highest amounts of beryllium, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Meadowview Trailer Court	Blanch, NC	11 of 11	4.15 ppb	60
Bluebonnet Cove Mobile Home Park	Richardson, TX	2 of 2	4.05 ppb	69
Forest Park Village	Madison, NH	24 of 24	3.60 ppb	45
Michaux Manor Living Center	Fayetteville, PA	3 of 3	3.03 ppb	73
Windy Gap Mountain Village	Rockville, VA	4 of 4	2.98 ppb	150
Bartlett Place	Glen, NH	23 of 24	2.61 ppb	72
Bethany Crest LLC	Clarksville, DE	2 of 2	2.59 ppb	60
Granite Dells Water Company	Prescott, AZ	2 of 2	2.55 ppb	50
Hales Location	Hales Location, NH	22 of 24	2.27 ppb	385
Shasta Csa - Sugarloaf, #2	Redding, CA	1 of 1	2.20 ppb	160
Castle Craig Subdivision	Roanoke, VA	1 of 3	2.07 ppb	78
Goodrich Property	Glen, NH	23 of 24	2.04 ppb	175
Lakeside Village Mobile Home Park	Hobe Sound, FL	1 of 2	2.00 ppb	220
Fort Polk North Housing Water System	Fort Polk, LA	2 of 6	2.00 ppb	1,964
Oaklane Mobile Village LLC	Roseville, CA	1 of 1	2.00 ppb	75
Sunnybrook Subdivision	Rockville, VA	2 of 2	2.00 ppb	30
North Yuba Water District	Brownsville, CA	1 of 2	1.95 ppb	3,105
North Ledge	Glen, NH	19 of 21	1.86 ppb	110
Dudley Carbon Coalmont Jm Authority	Dudley, PA	1 of 2	1.80 ppb	403
Linderhof Golf Course	Glen, NH	2 of 2	1.58 ppb	295
Orbisonia Rockhill Jt Municipal Authority	Orbisonia, PA	1 of 2	1.52 ppb	1,200
Lyons Water Utility	Lyons, IN	1 of 2	1.50 ppb	747
Sawpit, Town of	Placerville, CO	1 of 1	1.50 ppb	45
Long Beach City	Long Beach, NY	389 of 461	1.49 ppb	35,000
Hillside Park Addition	Yakima, WA	2 of 3	1.40 ppb	45
Yellowtail Dam Mk Upper System	Yellowtail, MT	1 of 3	1.33 ppb	40
City of Lawrence Utilities	Indianapolis, IN	3 of 6	1.30 ppb	46,100
Buckingham Township Buck Village	Buckingham, PA	1 of 2	1.25 ppb	1,050
Essex Water District	Essex, NY	1 of 5	1.22 ppb	350
Lido-point Lookout Water District	East Meadow, NY	607 of 733	1.21 ppb	6,000
Hillside Village	Newton, NJ	2 of 2	1.12 ppb	75
Morningside Mobilehome Park	Modesto, CA	1 of 2	1.000 ppb	67
Spencer	Spencer, OK	1 of 4	1.000 ppb	3,746
Mid Valley Estates	Cedar City, UT	1 of 2	1.000 ppb	750
Sunset Village/bushmans Lake and Marina	Charlestown, IN	1 of 1	1.000 ppb	406
Keystone Apt Llc	Trout Run, PA	1 of 2	0.935 ppb	100
Grier School	Tyrone, PA	3 of 5	0.922 ppb	450
Sussex Manor Mobile Home Park	Dagsboro, DE	2 of 2	0.920 ppb	49
Laurel Acres Water Company Inc.	Cornelius, OR	1 of 1	0.900 ppb	50
Culvers Hill - North Webster	Nappanee, IN	5 of 20	0.840 ppb	75
Waterville Valley Water District	Waterville Valley, NH	6 of 10	0.810 ppb	3,050
Hillsdale Housing Cooperative Inc.	Warwick, RI	3 of 4	0.775 ppb	170
Cachagua Mutual Ws (#4)	Carmel Valley, CA	1 of 1	0.700 ppb	55
Lacenter Municipal Water Company	Lacenter, KY	1 of 2	0.700 ppb	1,291
Ticonderoga Water District	Ticonderoga, NY	1 of 13	0.685 ppb	3,700
Ancones Mdwwca	La Madera, NM	1 of 3	0.667 ppb	60
North Cohocton Water District	Cohocton, NY	1 of 2	0.650 ppb	485
Broadtop City Water Authority	Broad Top, PA	1 of 2	0.620 ppb	350
Laurel Village Mobile Home Park	Laurel, DE	3 of 4	0.600 ppb	918
Sports Haven Mobile Home Park	Belchertown, MA	1 of 2	0.600 ppb	107

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Long Beach City	Long Beach, NY	389 of 461	1.49 ppb	35,000
City of Lawrence Utilities	Indianapolis, IN	3 of 6	1.30 ppb	46,100
Willingboro MUA*	Riverside, NJ	3 of 7	0.486 ppb	35,000
West Hwy 80 Ark Road WS	West Monroe, LA	2 of 14	0.429 ppb	13,386
Moorestown Water Department	Moorestown, NJ	2 of 4	0.358 ppb	20,700
Lindon City	Lindon, UT	1 of 3	0.333 ppb	10,500
Morton*	Morton, IL	1 of 8	0.313 ppb	17,000
High Hills	Dalzell, SC	1 of 4	0.275 ppb	12,110
Delray Beach Water Department*	Delray Beach, FL	1 of 2	0.250 ppb	60,200
Quantico Marine Base-Mainside*	Quantico, VA	1 of 4	0.250 ppb	14,525
Hill Air Force Base*	Hill Afb, UT	1 of 16	0.250 ppb	25,000
Bordentown Water Departm*	Bordentown, NJ	1 of 2	0.245 ppb	15,821
North Marshall Water District #1	Benton, KY	2 of 4	0.238 ppb	16,276
City of Sumter*	Sumter, SC	2 of 11	0.236 ppb	53,070
City of Holly Hill	Holly Hill, FL	1 of 3	0.233 ppb	13,437
City of Sunnyside	Sunnyside, WA	1 of 5	0.200 ppb	16,280
Winter Garden Water Department*	Winter Garden, FL	2 of 6	0.200 ppb	74,326
Aqua NJ - Hamilton Square*	Hamilton, NJ	8 of 24	0.170 ppb	39,128
Beaver Dam Water Utility	Beaver Dam, WI	1 of 2	0.150 ppb	16,200
City of Grants Pass	Grants Pass, OR	1 of 4	0.150 ppb	37,088
WA of Great Neck North	Great Neck, NY	1 of 73	0.137 ppb	31,400
Englewood Water District*	Englewood, FL	2 of 3	0.133 ppb	38,005
Citrus Springs	Dunnellon, FL	4 of 12	0.108 ppb	18,339
City of Winter Park	Winter Park, FL	1 of 6	0.1000 ppb	82,984
Okeechobee Utility Authority	Okeechobee, FL	2 of 7	0.1000 ppb	20,000
Lakehaven Utility District	Federal Way, WA	1 of 14	0.1000 ppb	116,733
Angola Pump District	Dover, DE	1 of 6	0.1000 ppb	11,350
Naples Water Department	Naples, FL	1 of 2	0.1000 ppb	52,906
Winchester Municipal Utilities*	Winchester, KY	1 of 6	0.0917 ppb	32,213
Eunice Water System (LAWCO)	Baton Rouge, LA	2 of 22	0.0909 ppb	15,753
Massena Village	Massena, NY	1 of 6	0.0833 ppb	15,387
Dunedin Water System	Dunedin, FL	1 of 6	0.0833 ppb	43,614
City of Havre De Grace*	Havre De Grace, MD	1 of 6	0.0833 ppb	14,000
Ocean Pines	Berlin, MD	2 of 10	0.0800 ppb	11,890
City of Clermont	Clermont, FL	2 of 5	0.0800 ppb	11,628
Minden Water System	Minden, LA	6 of 44	0.0745 ppb	16,950
Burlington Twp W Department	Burlington, NJ	3 of 6	0.0707 ppb	22,594
West Escambia Utilities Inc.	Atmore, AL	6 of 14	0.0686 ppb	12,060
City of Lake Mary	Lake Mary, FL	1 of 3	0.0667 ppb	16,746
Wall Twp Water Department	Wall Twp, NJ	3 of 10	0.0600 ppb	26,000
Monroe Township Utility Department	Monroe Township, NJ	1 of 12	0.0501 ppb	33,402
Greater Pine Island Water Association	St James City, FL	1 of 2	0.0500 ppb	15,849
Pawc Pocono District	Tobyhanna, PA	1 of 18	0.0500 ppb	17,860
Altamonte Springs Water Department*	Altamonte Springs, FL	1 of 4	0.0500 ppb	55,576
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority*	Pensacola, FL	9 of 56	0.0464 ppb	255,884
Pa Amer Water Philipsburg	Indiana, PA	1 of 8	0.0375 ppb	20,095
Rehoboth District	Dover, DE	1 of 19	0.0358 ppb	32,700
Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District*	Taylorsville, UT	1 of 57	0.0351 ppb	69,992
Gateway Services District	Fort Myers, FL	2 of 18	0.0333 ppb	12,717
Oldsmar Water System	Oldsmar, FL	1 of 3	0.0333 ppb	14,731

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