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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid (PMPA)

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Perfluoro-2-methoxypropanoic acid (PMPA) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PMPA 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

58

utilities detected

1.4 million

people served

0

states over health guideline

0

utilities over health guideline

0

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for PMPA

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 PMPA 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 PMPA in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
North Carolina581,402,389
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce PMPA

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of PMPA, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Bladen County Water Dist-West Bladen*Elizabethtown, NC1 of 1106.6 ppt12,014
South Point SDFayetteville, NC1 of 1106.6 ppt124
Bladen County Water Dist-east BladenElizabethtown, NC1 of 168.5 ppt3,889
Pender County UtilitiesBurgaw, NC1 of 135.5 ppt24,236
Town of Navassa - PhoenixNavassa, NC1 of 131.3 ppt71
Leland, Town ofLeland, NC1 of 131.3 ppt5,662
Navassa, Town of-cedar Hill AnnexNavassa, NC1 of 131.3 ppt25
Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2goLeland, NC1 of 131.3 ppt28,488
Navassa, Town ofNavassa, NC1 of 131.3 ppt747
Holden Beach, Town ofHolden Beach, NC1 of 131.3 ppt6,212
Brunswick County Water System*Bolivia, NC1 of 131.3 ppt100,694
Ocean Isle Beach, Town of*Ocean Isle Beach, NC1 of 131.3 ppt7,216
Shallotte, Town ofShallotte, NC1 of 131.3 ppt5,862
Town of Oak IslandOak Island, NC1 of 131.3 ppt23,635
Southport, City ofCity Of Southport, NC1 of 131.3 ppt6,447
Bladen Bluffs Water SystemTarheel, NC1 of 118.7 ppt4,589
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC2 of 318.5 ppt153,202
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - New Hanover County*Wilmington, NC1 of 15.30 ppt29,052
Oyster Point S/dWilmington, NC1 of 15.30 ppt99
Wade, Town ofWade, NC1 of 13.30 ppt835
South Plantation S/dCary, NC1 of 13.20 ppt357
Creekside Place S/dCary, NC1 of 13.20 ppt361
Southgate S/dCary, NC1 of 13.20 ppt160
Willowbrook DevelopmentCharlotte, NC1 of 13.20 ppt435
White Oak PlantationCharlotte, NC1 of 13.20 ppt526
Johnston County - West*Smithfield, NC1 of 13.20 ppt58,354
ClaytonClayton, NC1 of 13.20 ppt19,822
Winston Pointe S/dCharlotte, NC1 of 13.20 ppt737
Sun Ridge Farm S/dCary, NC1 of 13.20 ppt272
Winston PlantationCharlotte, NC1 of 13.20 ppt229
Brookwood South/fayetteville Public Works CommissionHampstead, NC1 of 23.00 ppt2,357
Stedman, Town of*Stedman, NC1 of 23.00 ppt1,506
Fayetteville Public Works Commission*Fayetteville, NC1 of 23.00 ppt217,948
Hoke County Regional--rockfishRaeford, NC1 of 23.00 ppt5,778
Rain Tree II Fayetteville Public Works CommissionHampstead, NC1 of 23.00 ppt292
Tanglewood South Mobile Home Park/fayetteville Public Works CommissionCharlotte, NC1 of 23.00 ppt259
Kelly Hill S/dHampstead, NC1 of 23.00 ppt109
Brettonwood Hills S/dHampstead, NC1 of 23.00 ppt187
Eastgate S/d Fayetteville Public Works CommissionCharlotte, NC1 of 23.00 ppt205
Town of Smithfield*Smithfield, NC1 of 12.30 ppt12,400
Selma, Town ofSelma, NC1 of 11.60 ppt6,120
City of Wilson*Wilson, NC1 of 21.40 ppt50,866
Longleaf Neuro-medical Treatment CenterBailey, NC1 of 21.40 ppt200
Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority*La Grange, NC1 of 11.40 ppt93,238
The Village of Bald Head IslandBald Head Island, NC1 of 11.30 ppt3,291
City of Goldsboro*Goldsboro, NC1 of 11.20 ppt34,959
Seymour Johnson Air Force BaseSeymour Johnson, NC1 of 11.20 ppt6,875
City of Durham*Durham, NC1 of 20.700 ppt282,343

* 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-methoxypropanoic acid (PMPA), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Bladen County Water Dist-West Bladen*Elizabethtown, NC1 of 1106.6 ppt12,014
Pender County UtilitiesBurgaw, NC1 of 135.5 ppt24,236
Town of Oak IslandOak Island, NC1 of 131.3 ppt23,635
Brunswick County Water System*Bolivia, NC1 of 131.3 ppt100,694
Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2goLeland, NC1 of 131.3 ppt28,488
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC2 of 318.5 ppt153,202
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - New Hanover County*Wilmington, NC1 of 15.30 ppt29,052
ClaytonClayton, NC1 of 13.20 ppt19,822
Johnston County - West*Smithfield, NC1 of 13.20 ppt58,354
Fayetteville Public Works Commission*Fayetteville, NC1 of 23.00 ppt217,948
Town of Smithfield*Smithfield, NC1 of 12.30 ppt12,400
City of Wilson*Wilson, NC1 of 21.40 ppt50,866
Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority*La Grange, NC1 of 11.40 ppt93,238
City of Goldsboro*Goldsboro, NC1 of 11.20 ppt34,959
City of Durham*Durham, NC1 of 20.700 ppt282,343

* 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-methoxypropanoic acid (PMPA), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.