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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Desethylatrazine

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Desethylatrazine, or deethylatrazine, and desisopropylatrazine are formed from the degradation of atrazine, a herbicide associated with hormonal disruption in people and wildlife.

2017-2019:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

2

states detected

104

utilities detected

1.4 million

people served

2

states over health guideline

86

utilities over health guideline

493,000

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for desethylatrazine

Harm to the developing fetus

Hormone disruption

Harm to the reproductive system

Changes in the nervous system

Changes in brain and behavior

Cancer

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for desethylatrazine was defined by EWG based on epidemiological studies of human exposure to atrazine in drinking water. This health guideline protects against harm to the developing fetus, harm to the reproductive system and hormone disruption.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting desethylatrazine in drinking water

UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served UtilitiesPeople Served
Wisconsin46,19933935,604
Kansas82486,46671482,077
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce desethylatrazine

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of desethylatrazine, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Iola, City of*Iola, KS3 of 51.11 ppb5,312
Allen County Rural Water District 15Iola, KS3 of 51.11 ppb135
Gas City, City ofGas, KS3 of 51.11 ppb505
Bed Rock Mobile Home ParkUlysses, KS1 of 10.550 ppb320
Metro Topeka Airport AuthorityTopeka, KS2 of 50.520 ppb500
Shawnee County Rural Water District 3c*Topeka, KS2 of 50.520 ppb2,675
Shawnee County Rural Water District 1cAuburn, KS2 of 50.520 ppb4,160
City of Topeka*Topeka, KS2 of 50.520 ppb165,000
Russell, City ofRussell, KS2 of 50.446 ppb4,463
Carbondale, City of*Carbondale, KS1 of 20.425 ppb1,377
Howard, City of*Howard, KS1 of 20.350 ppb602
Elk County Rural Water District 2Howard, KS1 of 20.350 ppb206
Mitchell County Rural Water District 1Beloit, KS3 of 60.328 ppb345
Beloit, City of*Beloit, KS3 of 60.328 ppb3,726
Tipton, City ofTipton, KS1 of 20.230 ppb198
Mitchell County Rural Water District 3*Beloit, KS1 of 20.230 ppb2,048
Hunter, City ofHunter, KS1 of 20.230 ppb56
Mitchell County Rural Water District 2*Glen Elder, KS1 of 20.230 ppb1,291
Lane, City ofLane, KS1 of 30.227 ppb226
Franklin County Rural Water District 6*Rantoul, KS1 of 30.227 ppb2,960
Richmond, City ofRichmond, KS1 of 30.213 ppb458
Spring Green WaterworksSpring Green, WI1 of 10.210 ppb1,626
Franklin County Rural Water District 2Ottawa, KS2 of 50.196 ppb400
City of Ottawa*Ottawa, KS2 of 50.196 ppb12,267
Princeton, City of*Princeton, KS2 of 50.196 ppb271
Atchison County Rural Water District 1Atchison, KS1 of 60.167 ppb490
Atchison County Rural Water District 3Atchison, KS1 of 60.167 ppb110
City of Atchison*Atchison, KS1 of 60.167 ppb10,636
Atchison County Rural Water District 6Atchison, KS1 of 60.167 ppb670
Luray, City ofLuray, KS1 of 30.160 ppb184
Saline County Rural Water District 7*Assaria, KS1 of 30.160 ppb355
Brookville, City ofBrookville, KS1 of 30.160 ppb254
Waldo, City ofWaldo, KS1 of 30.160 ppb30
Paradise, City ofParadise, KS1 of 30.160 ppb49
Osborne County Rural Water District 2Natoma, KS1 of 30.160 ppb55
Ellsworth County Rural Water District 1*Ellsworth, KS1 of 30.160 ppb2,626
Green Lake WaterworksGreen Lake, WI2 of 20.150 ppb960
Fort Scott, City of*Fort Scott, KS1 of 50.144 ppb7,765
Markesan WaterworksMarkesan, WI1 of 10.140 ppb1,496
Marion, City of*Marion, KS1 of 30.133 ppb1,787
Marion County Improvement District 2Marion, KS1 of 30.133 ppb234
Tomah WaterworksTomah, WI1 of 10.130 ppb9,192
Lacygne, City of*La Cygne, KS1 of 30.127 ppb1,120
Arlington WaterworksArlington, WI3 of 30.113 ppb823
City of Olathe*Olathe, KS1 of 50.108 ppb139,605
Public Wholesale WSD 13*Mound City, KS1 of 50.102 ppb1
Hume PWSHume, MO1 of 50.102 ppb336
Blue Mound, City ofBlue Mound, KS1 of 50.102 ppb273
Linn County Rural Water District 1La Cygne, KS1 of 50.102 ppb1,200
Linn County Rural Water District 2*Mound City, KS1 of 50.102 ppb1,960

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

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
City of Topeka*Topeka, KS2 of 50.520 ppb165,000
City of Ottawa*Ottawa, KS2 of 50.196 ppb12,267
City of Atchison*Atchison, KS1 of 60.167 ppb10,636
City of Olathe*Olathe, KS1 of 50.108 ppb139,605
City of Emporia*Emporia, KS1 of 50.1000 ppb24,765
City of Winfield*Winfield, KS1 of 50.0640 ppb12,057
Middleton WaterworksMiddleton, WI1 of 10.0420 ppb17,903
Plover WaterworksPlover, WI1 of 10.0390 ppb12,420
Marshfield UtilitiesMarshfield, WI1 of 10.0350 ppb18,708
Greendale WaterworksGreendale, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb14,046
West Allis WaterworksWest Allis, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb63,240
Wauwatosa WaterworksWauwatosa, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb49,064
Shorewood WaterworksShorewood, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb13,189
Menomonee Falls WW - Surface WaterMenomonee Falls, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb23,867
New Berlin Water UtilityNew Berlin, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb27,899
Brown Deer WaterworksBrown Deer, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb12,741
Milwaukee Waterworks*Milwaukee, WI4 of 180.00389 ppb647,290

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