Pentachlorophenol
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Pentachlorophenol is a carcinogenic chemical used as a wood preservative. It harms developing fetuses, and causes immune suppression and hormone disruption.
2017-2019:
FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES
FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT
19
states detected
143
utilities detected
2.5 million
people served
1
states over health guideline
5
utilities over health guideline
3,474
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for pentachlorophenol
Cancer
Harm to child development
Harm to the immune system
Hormone disruption
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.3 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.3 ppb for pentachlorophenol 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. This health guideline protects against cancer.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 1 ppb
The legal limit for pentachlorophenol, established in 1991, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting pentachlorophenol in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| Arizona | 5 | 3,474 | 11 | 737,947 | |||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 5 | 617,086 | |||
| Florida | 0 | 0 | 16 | 369,865 | |||
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 1 | 301,000 | |||
| North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 70 | 207,649 | |||
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 5 | 118,803 | |||
| Illinois | 0 | 0 | 2 | 48,747 | |||
| Colorado | 0 | 0 | 8 | 38,764 | |||
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24,889 | |||
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12,201 | |||
| Wyoming | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3,627 | |||
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,550 | |||
| Texas | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,364 | |||
| Louisiana | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1,267 | |||
| Idaho | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1,063 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 4 | 614 | |||
| South Dakota | 0 | 0 | 1 | 450 | |||
| California | 0 | 0 | 1 | 325 | |||
| Missouri | 0 | 0 | 1 | 200 | |||
MORE
LESS
Filtering technologies that reduce pentachlorophenol
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of pentachlorophenol, 2017-2019
ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epcor Water - Tubac | Youngtown, AZ | 2 of 4 | 0.500 ppb | 1,565 |
| Avalon Gardens Water System | Tubac, AZ | 2 of 4 | 0.500 ppb | 100 |
| City of Gonzales Water System | Gonzales, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.377 ppb | 15,024 |
| Granite Oaks Water Users Association | Chino Valley, AZ | 1 of 2 | 0.270 ppb | 1,200 |
| Icr Water Users Association | Prescott, AZ | 1 of 2 | 0.270 ppb | 359 |
| Sunset Mobile Home Park | Sedona, AZ | 1 of 2 | 0.270 ppb | 250 |
| Sisar Mutual Water Company | Santa Paula, CA | 1 of 2 | 0.200 ppb | 325 |
| Pleasant View Mobile Home Park | Berwick, PA | 1 of 4 | 0.173 ppb | 99 |
| St. Tam Parish - Cross Gates SD | Covington, LA | 4 of 8 | 0.123 ppb | 9,600 |
| Eakly Development Corporation | Eakly, OK | 1 of 1 | 0.110 ppb | 277 |
| Town of Tullos Water System | Tullos, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.110 ppb | 792 |
| Bayou Liberty Water Association | Slidell, LA | 6 of 14 | 0.105 ppb | 10,500 |
| Rensselaerville Water District | Rensselaerville, NY | 1 of 2 | 0.0945 ppb | 200 |
| Garrison Lake Pump District | Dover, DE | 1 of 6 | 0.0933 ppb | 8,559 |
| Mountainside Estates Mobile Home Park | Lakewood, CO | 1 of 6 | 0.0667 ppb | 473 |
| Consolidated Mutual Maple Grove* | Lakewood, CO | 1 of 6 | 0.0667 ppb | 24,135 |
| South Claiborne Water System | Athens, LA | 12 of 26 | 0.0662 ppb | 3,840 |
| Covington Water Supply | Covington, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.0615 ppb | 14,700 |
| MO American Rogue Creek Utilities | Potosi, MO | 1 of 1 | 0.0600 ppb | 200 |
| Bel-di-gil Water System | Belcher, LA | 2 of 8 | 0.0575 ppb | 1,132 |
| Town of Colfax | Colfax, LA | 2 of 8 | 0.0550 ppb | 2,552 |
| Phillips Mobile Home Park | Aspen, CO | 1 of 13 | 0.0485 ppb | 44 |
| Bryceland Water System* | Bienville, LA | 2 of 4 | 0.0450 ppb | 243 |
| Wheatland, Town Of | Wheatland, WY | 3 of 10 | 0.0450 ppb | 3,627 |
| Shiloh Waterworks District | Bienville, LA | 2 of 4 | 0.0450 ppb | 153 |
| Gibsland Water System | Gibsland, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.0450 ppb | 979 |
| Pine Mobile Home Park | Berne, NY | 1 of 2 | 0.0400 ppb | 110 |
| Plummer, City of | Plummer, ID | 3 of 18 | 0.0389 ppb | 1,028 |
| New Baltimore Water District #2 | Hannacroix, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0380 ppb | 63 |
| Coxsackie Consolidated Water District | Coxsackie, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0380 ppb | 376 |
| Coxsackie Village* | Coxsackie, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0380 ppb | 4,539 |
| Sanborn Water Supply | Sanborn, IA | 1 of 1 | 0.0360 ppb | 1,424 |
| Endicott Municipal Water Works | Endicott, NY | 2 of 8 | 0.0350 ppb | 45,000 |
| Tonto Basin Water Roosevelt Lake Estates | Denver, AZ | 1 of 6 | 0.0350 ppb | 591 |
| Tarrytown Water Supply | Tarrytown, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0330 ppb | 11,000 |
| Sleepy Hollow (village) | Sleepy Hollow, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0330 ppb | 9,870 |
| Atomic City | Atomic City, ID | 1 of 2 | 0.0315 ppb | 35 |
| St. Tam Parish-madisonville Woods | Covington, LA | 2 of 8 | 0.0308 ppb | 87 |
| Trenton Water Users Association | Trenton, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 840 |
| Drayton, City of | Drayton, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 824 |
| South Central Regional Water District North Burleigh* | Bismarck, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 9,848 |
| City of Williston* | Williston, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 26,426 |
| Western Area Water Supply Authority* | Williston, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 0 |
| Goodrich, City of | Goodrich, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 98 |
| Wilton, City of | Wilton, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 711 |
| Northeast Regional Water District-langdon Branch* | Cavalier, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 2,450 |
| Inspire Communities-springbrook | Williston, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 300 |
| Marmarth, City of | Marmarth, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 136 |
| Makoti, City of | Makoti, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 154 |
| Country Club Co-op | Bismarck, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 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 Pentachlorophenol, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Gonzales Water System | Gonzales, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.377 ppb | 15,024 |
| Bayou Liberty Water Association | Slidell, LA | 6 of 14 | 0.105 ppb | 10,500 |
| Consolidated Mutual Maple Grove* | Lakewood, CO | 1 of 6 | 0.0667 ppb | 24,135 |
| Covington Water Supply | Covington, LA | 6 of 12 | 0.0615 ppb | 14,700 |
| Endicott Municipal Water Works | Endicott, NY | 2 of 8 | 0.0350 ppb | 45,000 |
| Tarrytown Water Supply | Tarrytown, NY | 1 of 5 | 0.0330 ppb | 11,000 |
| City of Williston* | Williston, ND | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 26,426 |
| City of Fountain | Fountain, CO | 3 of 14 | 0.0214 ppb | 29,000 |
| City of Dickinson | Dickinson, ND | 1 of 2 | 0.0200 ppb | 22,993 |
| Kensico Water District | Valhalla, NY | 1 of 9 | 0.0183 ppb | 17,917 |
| New Ulm | New Ulm, MN | 1 of 4 | 0.0150 ppb | 13,342 |
| Kingman Municipal Water | Kingman, AZ | 10 of 41 | 0.0145 ppb | 45,000 |
| Mandeville Water Supply | Mandeville, LA | 4 of 20 | 0.0143 ppb | 13,000 |
| United Water Westchester Rate District 1 | New Rochelle, NY | 1 of 12 | 0.0138 ppb | 146,723 |
| Rolling Meadows | Rolling Meadows, IL | 1 of 5 | 0.0135 ppb | 24,099 |
| Frankfort | Frankfort, IL | 1 of 18 | 0.0133 ppb | 24,648 |
| White Plains City* | White Plains, NY | 1 of 6 | 0.0107 ppb | 59,353 |
| City of Bismarck* | Bismarck, ND | 1 of 3 | 0.01000 ppb | 72,417 |
| Wrentham Water Division | Wrentham, MA | 1 of 13 | 0.00769 ppb | 11,686 |
| West Hwy 80 Ark Road WS | West Monroe, LA | 2 of 16 | 0.00750 ppb | 13,386 |
| Garden City | Garden City, NY | 2 of 33 | 0.00649 ppb | 46,000 |
| Westchester County Water District #1* | New Rochelle, NY | 1 of 10 | 0.00640 ppb | 340,839 |
| Long Beach City | Long Beach, NY | 2 of 27 | 0.00630 ppb | 35,000 |
| Scarsdale Water Department | Scarsdale, NY | 1 of 11 | 0.00582 ppb | 20,608 |
| Yonkers City | Yonkers, NY | 1 of 13 | 0.00492 ppb | 196,086 |
| City of Hollywood* | Hollywood, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.00486 ppb | 147,566 |
| Broward County Water and Wastewater Services (BCWWS) 3B/C | Miramar, FL | 1 of 7 | 0.00486 ppb | 32,650 |
| City of Buckeye Sonora - Sundance | Buckeye, AZ | 1 of 14 | 0.00421 ppb | 15,783 |
| St Bernard Parish Waterworks | Chalmette, LA | 2 of 22 | 0.00346 ppb | 44,000 |
| Toho Water Authority - Poinciana System | Kissimmee, FL | 1 of 9 | 0.00333 ppb | 69,447 |
| Artesian Water Company* | Newark, DE | 1 of 175 | 0.00269 ppb | 301,000 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 16 | 0.00188 ppb | 127,700 |
| Bethany Bay Ocean View* | Dover, DE | 1 of 19 | 0.00168 ppb | 34,500 |
| Lee County Utilities* | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 25 | 0.00152 ppb | 251,502 |
| Gateway Services District | Fort Myers, FL | 1 of 25 | 0.00152 ppb | 12,717 |
| Norman* | Norman, OK | 1 of 163 | 0.000982 ppb | 72,928 |
| Oklahoma University | Norman, OK | 1 of 163 | 0.000982 ppb | 34,000 |
| Westbury WD | Westbury, NY | 1 of 69 | 0.000783 ppb | 20,500 |
| Jericho Water District | Syosset, NY | 1 of 74 | 0.000770 ppb | 58,000 |
| City of Tucson* | Tucson, AZ | 1 of 311 | 0.000386 ppb | 675,686 |
* 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 Pentachlorophenol, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.