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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Hexadecanoic acid

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Hexadecanoic acid, also called palmitic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in animal and plant lipids.

2017-2019:

FOUND

1

states detected

242

utilities detected

2.0 million

people served

States reporting hexadecanoic acid in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
Texas2422,020,913
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce hexadecanoic acid

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Activated Carbon

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Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of hexadecanoic acid, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 146*Houston, TX3 of 316.3 ppb3,555
Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 194Houston, TX3 of 316.3 ppb776
City of NixonNixon, TX1 of 116.0 ppb2,385
Terranova West Municipal Utility District*Houston, TX1 of 113.5 ppb2,619
Harris County Municipal Utility District 276*Houston, TX1 of 111.7 ppb4,902
Walnut Bend Water SystemLufkin, TX1 of 19.60 ppb51
Harris County Municipal Utility District 156Houston, TX2 of 29.15 ppb2,115
Harris County Municipal Utility District 155*Houston, TX2 of 29.15 ppb2,433
City of FriendswoodFriendswood, TX2 of 28.60 ppb37,921
City of South HoustonSouth Houston, TX3 of 38.57 ppb17,397
Bayview Municipal Utility DistrictBacliff, TX1 of 18.00 ppb1,839
City of Port NechesPort Neches, TX4 of 47.18 ppb13,040
Sunbelt Fresh Water Supply District Woodland Oaks SubdivisionHouston, TX1 of 16.50 ppb4,464
Harris County Water Control and Improvement District 110Houston, TX1 of 16.40 ppb8,439
Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District 8Santa Fe, TX4 of 46.10 ppb6,732
Gonzales County Water Supply CorporationGonzales, TX1 of 16.10 ppb7,000
City of La PorteLa Porte, TX16 of 165.91 ppb34,733
Cedar PointAustin, TX1 of 15.90 ppb1,353
Armstrong Water Supply CorporationHolland, TX1 of 15.90 ppb2,838
Jefferson County Water Control and Improvement District 10Nederland, TX1 of 15.80 ppb5,571
Harris County Municipal Utility District 109Houston, TX1 of 15.70 ppb8,592
Galveston County Municipal Utility District 12Bayou Vista, TX3 of 35.63 ppb2,900
Northwest Harris County Municipal Utility District 6Houston, TX1 of 15.50 ppb2,196
Matagorda Dunes SubdivisionAustin, TX1 of 15.40 ppb426
City of Coleman*Coleman, TX1 of 15.40 ppb4,709
Cnp Utility DistrictHouston, TX1 of 15.30 ppb14,667
Faulkey Gully Municipal Utility DistrictCypress, TX1 of 15.20 ppb8,049
City of Galena ParkGalena Park, TX7 of 75.16 ppb10,089
City of Paint RockPaint Rock, TX2 of 25.00 ppb273
City of WestWest, TX1 of 15.00 ppb2,850
Falcon Rural Water Supply CorporationFalcon Heights, TX1 of 15.00 ppb3,600
Millersview-doole Water Supply Corporation*Millersview, TX2 of 25.00 ppb3,987
City of Pflugerville*Pflugerville, TX1 of 14.70 ppb42,903
City of GoldthwaiteGoldthwaite, TX1 of 14.70 ppb1,878
Northwest Harris County Municipal Utility District 30Houston, TX2 of 24.70 ppb3,225
Lakeside Water Control and Improvement District 1Austin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb1,680
Briarcreek SubdivisionAustin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb2,769
Kelly Lane Water Control and Improvement District 1Austin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb2,331
Manville WSC*Coupland, TX1 of 14.60 ppb26,253
Williamson County Wsid 3Austin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb6,498
Harris County Municipal Utility District 162Houston, TX2 of 24.60 ppb2,649
Kelly Lane WCID 2Austin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb1,221
Lakeside Water Control and Improvement District 2-bAustin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb1,419
Lakeside Water Control and Improvement District 2-cAustin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb2,016
Lakeside Water Control and Improvement District 2-dAustin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb2,385
Lakeside Water Control and Improvement District 2-aAustin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb324
Lakeside MUD 3Austin, TX1 of 14.60 ppb2,262
City of MartMart, TX1 of 14.60 ppb3,240
Noack Water Supply Corporation*Thrall, TX1 of 14.60 ppb680
Woodland Acres SubdivisionHouston, TX1 of 14.50 ppb729

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

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
City of FriendswoodFriendswood, TX2 of 28.60 ppb37,921
City of South HoustonSouth Houston, TX3 of 38.57 ppb17,397
City of Port NechesPort Neches, TX4 of 47.18 ppb13,040
City of La PorteLa Porte, TX16 of 165.91 ppb34,733
Cnp Utility DistrictHouston, TX1 of 15.30 ppb14,667
City of Galena ParkGalena Park, TX7 of 75.16 ppb10,089
City of Pflugerville*Pflugerville, TX1 of 14.70 ppb42,903
Manville WSC*Coupland, TX1 of 14.60 ppb26,253
City of GrovesGroves, TX3 of 34.37 ppb15,967
Laguna Madre Water DistrictPort Isabel, TX3 of 34.30 ppb19,908
City of BeltonBelton, TX2 of 24.25 ppb21,214
City of Copperas Cove*Copperas Cove, TX2 of 24.25 ppb33,919
US Army South Fort HoodFort Hood, TX2 of 24.25 ppb35,669
City of Harker HeightsHarker Heights, TX2 of 24.25 ppb30,365
City of KilleenKilleen, TX2 of 24.25 ppb140,806
Harris County MUD 168Sugar Land, TX1 of 14.20 ppb13,029
City of OrangeOrange, TX1 of 14.10 ppb18,643
East Rio Hondo WSC*Rio Hondo, TX2 of 24.05 ppb21,726
Remington MUD 1Houston, TX1 of 14.00 ppb13,338
Clwsc Canyon Lake Shores*Canyon Lake, TX1 of 14.00 ppb24,153
City of BeevilleBeeville, TX2 of 23.95 ppb15,039
City of League CityLeague City, TX6 of 63.92 ppb104,857
City of San BenitoSan Benito, TX1 of 13.90 ppb24,250
City of Port ArthurPort Arthur, TX7 of 73.86 ppb42,796
Harris County MUD 53Houston, TX6 of 63.82 ppb16,164
City of HuttoHutto, TX1 of 13.80 ppb16,638
Harris County MUD 200 Cranbrook*Houston, TX3 of 33.77 ppb14,697
City of LeanderLeander, TX1 of 13.70 ppb43,764
Memorial Villages Water AuthorityHouston, TX7 of 73.67 ppb11,427
City of Texas CityTexas City, TX3 of 33.63 ppb48,558
Nueces County WCID 3*Robstown, TX2 of 23.60 ppb14,607
Harlingen Water Works System*Harlingen, TX5 of 53.54 ppb85,900
North Alamo Water Supply Company*Edinburg, TX3 of 33.53 ppb138,855
Wellborn SUDWellborn, TX2 of 23.50 ppb25,677
Clear Lake City Water Authority*Houston, TX4 of 43.50 ppb85,392
City of Nederland*Nederland, TX2 of 23.35 ppb17,545
Agua SUDMission, TX3 of 33.33 ppb46,872
Clear Brook City MUD*Houston, TX5 of 53.30 ppb12,390
City of Seabrook*Seabrook, TX1 of 13.30 ppb12,792
City of Corpus Christi*Corpus Christi, TX2 of 23.30 ppb325,733
City of Horseshoe Bay*Horseshoe Bay, TX2 of 23.30 ppb10,725
City of MissionMission, TX2 of 23.25 ppb77,058
City of Deer ParkDeer Park, TX7 of 73.21 ppb32,964
City of Austin Water & Wastewater*Austin, TX2 of 23.20 ppb981,783
City of AliceAlice, TX1 of 13.20 ppb18,949
Kempner WSC*Kempner, TX2 of 23.20 ppb19,313
City of EdinburgEdinburg, TX1 of 13.20 ppb85,224
Travis County WCID 17Austin, TX1 of 13.20 ppb43,074
City of La MarqueLa Marque, TX1 of 13.20 ppb15,154
City of Galveston*Galveston, TX1 of 13.20 ppb50,180

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