Lithium
Status: No national drinking water standard exists
Lithium occurs naturally in soil and rock. It is a pollutant from mining and industrial manufacturing of metals, ceramics and batteries. Ingesting too much lithium can lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
2017-2019:
4
states detected
22
utilities detected
3.0 million
people served
States reporting lithium in drinking water
| UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | |
| California | 13 | 1,772,734 | |
| New York | 6 | 1,139,108 | |
| Utah | 2 | 132,750 | |
| Colorado | 1 | 62 | |
Filtering technologies that reduce lithium
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Utilities with the highest amounts of lithium, 2017-2019
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Conesville Water District | Gilboa, NY | 1 of 1 | 636.0 ppb | 54 |
| San Juan Ranch Homeowners Association | Lake City, CO | 1 of 1 | 51.0 ppb | 62 |
| Sandy City Water System* | Sandy, UT | 34 of 35 | 15.4 ppb | 99,750 |
| Kern County Water Agency* | Bakersfield, CA | 2 of 2 | 10.5 ppb | 0 |
| River Falls Waterworks | River Falls, WI | 5 of 5 | 2.60 ppb | 15,229 |
| Santa Clara Valley Water District* | San Jose, CA | 33 of 94 | 1.91 ppb | 0 |
| Millerton Village | Millerton, NY | 1 of 1 | 1.30 ppb | 2,000 |
| St James WD | St James, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 10,587 |
| Stony Brook Water District | Hauppauge, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 4,836 |
| Greenport Village | Greenport, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 2,050 |
| Smithtown WD | Kings Park, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 19,635 |
| Suffolk County Water Authority* | Bayshore, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 1,100,000 |
* 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 Lithium, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy City Water System* | Sandy, UT | 34 of 35 | 15.4 ppb | 99,750 |
| River Falls Waterworks | River Falls, WI | 5 of 5 | 2.60 ppb | 15,229 |
| St James WD | St James, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 10,587 |
| Smithtown WD | Kings Park, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 19,635 |
| Suffolk County Water Authority* | Bayshore, NY | 4 of 4 | 1.03 ppb | 1,100,000 |
* 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 Lithium, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.