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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX)

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. GenX and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

2017-2019:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

1

states detected

34

utilities detected

469,000

people served

0

states over health guideline

0

utilities over health guideline

0

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for GenX

Cancer

Harm to the immune system

Hormone disruption

Harm to fetal growth and child development

Harm to the liver

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1 ppt

The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppt for GenX was defined by EWG as based on studies by Phillipe Grandjean of Harvard University and many other independent researchers who found reduced effectiveness of vaccines and adverse impacts on mammary gland development from exposure to PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS most widely detected in drinking water. This health guideline protects against applies to the entire class of PFAS detected in water.

ppt = parts per trillion

States reporting GenX in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
North Carolina34468,552
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce GenX

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of GenX, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Wrightsville Beach Water SystemWrightsville Beach, NC1 of 147.8 ppt6,380
Pender County UtilitiesBurgaw, NC1 of 129.3 ppt24,236
Town of Navassa - PhoenixNavassa, NC1 of 128.1 ppt71
Leland, Town ofLeland, NC1 of 128.1 ppt5,662
Navassa, Town of-cedar Hill AnnexNavassa, NC1 of 128.1 ppt25
Southport, City ofCity Of Southport, NC1 of 128.1 ppt6,447
Town of Oak IslandOak Island, NC1 of 128.1 ppt23,635
Shallotte, Town ofShallotte, NC1 of 128.1 ppt5,862
Ocean Isle Beach, Town of*Ocean Isle Beach, NC1 of 128.1 ppt7,216
Brunswick County Water System*Bolivia, NC1 of 128.1 ppt100,694
Holden Beach, Town ofHolden Beach, NC1 of 128.1 ppt6,212
Navassa, Town ofNavassa, NC1 of 128.1 ppt747
Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2goLeland, NC1 of 128.1 ppt28,488
Bladen Bluffs Water SystemTarheel, NC1 of 118.2 ppt4,589
Bladen County Water Dist-West Bladen*Elizabethtown, NC1 of 114.5 ppt12,014
South Point SDFayetteville, NC1 of 114.5 ppt124
Bladen County Water Dist-east BladenElizabethtown, NC1 of 111.7 ppt3,889
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC6 of 116.47 ppt153,202
Columbus County Water District IIIWhiteville, NC1 of 15.60 ppt2,615
Stanly Co-piney Point DistrictAlbemarle, NC1 of 12.80 ppt947
Norwood, Town of*Raleigh, NC1 of 12.80 ppt4,109
Oyster Point S/dWilmington, NC1 of 12.40 ppt99
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - New Hanover County*Wilmington, NC1 of 12.40 ppt29,052
Perquimans County Water System*Hertford, NC1 of 11.70 ppt11,314
Minzie`s Creek Sanitary DistrictHertford, NC1 of 11.70 ppt191
College View Mobile Home ParkWilmington, NC4 of 41.57 ppt90
Martin County Regional WASA*Williamston, NC1 of 11.40 ppt10,162
Lake Waccamaw, Town ofLake Waccamaw, NC1 of 11.30 ppt2,469
Newton Grove, Town ofNewton Grove, NC1 of 11.30 ppt913
Dillsboro Water & Sewer Inc.Dillsboro, NC1 of 11.20 ppt25
Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority*Sylva, NC1 of 11.20 ppt6,858
Cowan Valley EstatesCullowhee, NC1 of 11.20 ppt53

* 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 Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX) , but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Pender County UtilitiesBurgaw, NC1 of 129.3 ppt24,236
Town of Oak IslandOak Island, NC1 of 128.1 ppt23,635
Brunswick County Water System*Bolivia, NC1 of 128.1 ppt100,694
Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2goLeland, NC1 of 128.1 ppt28,488
Bladen County Water Dist-West Bladen*Elizabethtown, NC1 of 114.5 ppt12,014
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC6 of 116.47 ppt153,202
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - New Hanover County*Wilmington, NC1 of 12.40 ppt29,052
Perquimans County Water System*Hertford, NC1 of 11.70 ppt11,314
Martin County Regional WASA*Williamston, NC1 of 11.40 ppt10,162

* 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 Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid (GenX) , but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.