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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Garden Valley Ranchettes Homeowners

EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2021 - March 2021), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.

Utility Details

  • Garden Valley, Idaho
  • Serves: 78
  • Data available: 2014-2019
  • Source: Groundwater

Contaminants Detected

3

EXCEED
EWG HEALTH
GUIDELINES

4 Total Contaminants

  • Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
  • Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
  • The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.

What To Do

Filter contaminants out Contact Your Local Official What About Lead?

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Contaminants Detected

VIEW: EXCEED GUIDELINES OTHER DETECTED

Fluoride

over legal limit
THIS UTILITY6.04 ppm
NO EWG HEALTH GUIDELINE
LEGAL LIMIT4 ppm
DETAILS
X

Fluoride

more about
this contaminant

Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems.

How your levels compare

This Utility

6.04 ppm

Legal Limit

4 ppm

National Average

0.489 ppm

State Average

0.38 ppm
NO EWG HEALTH GUIDELINE
The state and national averages were calculated using the averages of the contaminant measurements for each utility in 2017-2019.
ppm = parts per million
VIEW MORE TESTING DATA

Pollution Sources

Treatment Byproducts

Filtering Options

Reverse Osmosis

Nitrate and nitrite

Potential Effect: cancer4.3x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINE
THIS UTILITY0.600 ppm
EWG HEALTH GUIDELINE0.14 ppm
LEGAL LIMIT10 ppm
DETAILS
X

Nitrate and nitrite

more about
this contaminant

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

Nitrate and nitrite was found at 4.3 times above EWG's Health Guideline.

EWG Health Guideline

0.14 ppm or less

This Utility

0.6 ppm

Legal Limit

10 ppm

National Average

0.888 ppm

State Average

1.61 ppm
The state and national averages were calculated using the averages of the contaminant measurements for each utility in 2017-2019.
ppm = parts per million

Health Risks

The health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.
VIEW MORE TESTING DATA

Pollution Sources

Agriculture

Runoff & Sprawl

Naturally Occurring

Filtering Options

Reverse Osmosis

Ion Exchange

Uranium

Potential Effect: cancer4.7x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINE
THIS UTILITY2.01 pCi/L
EWG HEALTH GUIDELINE0.43 pCi/L
LEGAL LIMIT20 pCi/L
DETAILS
X

Uranium

more about
this contaminant

Uranium is a known human carcinogen. The federal legal limit for uranium is set at 30 micrograms per liter (corresponding to parts per billion), but utilities can also report uranium in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. EWG translated all uranium results to pCi/L using a conversion factor developed by the EPA. With this conversion approach, the limit of 30 ppb corresponds to 20 pCi/L. Drinking water with this much uranium would cause more than 4.6 cancer cases in a population of 100,000. California set a public health goal for uranium of 0.43 pCi/L.

Uranium was found at 4.7 times above EWG's Health Guideline.

EWG Health Guideline

0.43 pCi/L or less

This Utility

2.01 pCi/L

Legal Limit

20 pCi/L

National Average

1.04 pCi/L

State Average

2.64 pCi/L
The state and national averages were calculated using the averages of the contaminant measurements for each utility in 2014-2019.
pCi/L = picocuries per liter

Health Risks

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.43 pCi/L for uranium 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. Three most common uranium isotopes are U-234, U-235 and U-238. All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, and the total radioactivity depends on the ratio of isotopes. This health guideline protects against cancer.

VIEW MORE TESTING DATA

Pollution Sources

Industry

Naturally Occurring

Filtering Options

Reverse Osmosis

Ion Exchange

Includes chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages exceeded the federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL); chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages exceeded an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority; radiological contaminants detected between 2014 and 2019.

Other Contaminants Tested

✕

Chemicals tested for but not detected from 2014 to 2019:

1,1,1-Trichloroethane , 1,1,2-Trichloroethane , 1,1-Dichloroethylene , 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene , 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) , 1,2-Dichloroethane , 1,2-Dichloropropane , 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) , 2,4-D , Alachlor (Lasso) , Antimony , Arsenic , Atrazine , Barium , Benzene , Benzo[a]pyrene , Beryllium , Cadmium , Carbofuran , Carbon tetrachloride , Chlordane , Chromium (total) , cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene , Dalapon , Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate , Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate , Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) , Dinoseb , Diquat , Endothall , Endrin , Ethylbenzene , Ethylene dibromide , Glyphosate , Heptachlor , Heptachlor epoxide , Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) , Hexachlorocyclopentadiene , Lindane , Mercury (inorganic) , Methoxychlor , Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene) , Nitrite , o-Dichlorobenzene , Oxamyl (Vydate) , p-Dichlorobenzene , Pentachlorophenol , Picloram , Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) , Radium, combined (-226 & -228) , Selenium , Simazine , Styrene , Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) , Thallium , Toluene , Toxaphene , trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene , Trichloroethylene , Vinyl chloride , Xylenes (total)

Garden Valley Ranchettes Homeowners compliance with legally mandated federal standards:

  • From April 2019 to March 2021, Garden Valley Ranchettes Homeowners complied with health-based drinking water standards.
  • 12 QUARTERS
    in violation of any federal drinking water standard from April 2019 to March 2021
  • Over the last 3 years this water utility has spent
    6 QUARTERS
    in significant violation of federal drinking water standards

Information in this section on Garden Valley Ranchettes Homeowners comes from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online database (ECHO).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS UTILITY

Water Filters That Can Reduce Contaminant Levels

ContaminantActivated Carbonactivated carbonReverse Osmosisreverse osmosisIon Exchangeion exchange
CONTAMINANTS ABOVE
HEALTH GUIDELINES
Nitrate & nitrite✔✔
Uranium, combined (pCi/L)✔✔
OTHER CONTAMINANTS
DETECTED
Fluoride✔
Nitrate✔✔

Take Action

Contact Your Local Official

One of the best ways to push for cleaner water is to hold accountable the elected officials who have a say in water quality – from city hall and the state legislature to Congress all the way to the Oval Office – by asking questions and demanding answers.

LEARN MORE

Filter Out Contaminants

Check out our recommendations for filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.

EWG’S WATER FILTER GUIDE
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