Mercury (inorganic)

Status: National drinking water standard exists

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that also damages the kidneys and other internal organs. Mercury enters drinking water from industrial pollution, mining wastes and coal-fired power plants.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

631

utilities detected

6.3 million

people served

states over health guideline

utilities over health guideline

13,306

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

utilities over legal limit

12,166

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for mercury (inorganic)

Harm to the brain and nervous system

Harm to fetal growth and child development

Harm to the kidney

Harm to the immune system

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1.2 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 1.2 ppb for mercury (inorganic) 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 harm to internal organs.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 2 ppb

The legal limit for inorganic mercury, established in 1991, was based on toxicity studies conducted in laboratory animals in the 1970s and 1980s. This limit does not include any additional consideration of children’s health.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting mercury (inorganic) in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
Colorado		0	0			69	1,882,741
Florida		0	0			43	878,860
New York		0	0			33	552,512
New Jersey		0	0			41	495,527
Nevada		0	0			15	360,857
Delaware		0	0			2	312,180
Kentucky		0	0			21	278,336
Wisconsin		0	0			103	233,167
South Dakota		0	0			11	188,631
Alabama		0	0			15	121,124
Pennsylvania		0	0			29	105,003
Texas		3	13,237			28	96,856
California		2	69			25	91,661
Virginia		0	0			23	90,163
Minnesota		0	0			20	83,767
Arizona		0	0			2	76,214
Iowa		0	0			13	65,413
Ohio		0	0			6	50,204
South Carolina		0	0			2	40,343
North Carolina		0	0			12	38,114
Louisiana		0	0			13	32,889
Maryland		0	0			10	30,954
Missouri		0	0			13	28,933
West Virginia		0	0			10	28,319
Arkansas		0	0			5	19,027
Massachusetts		0	0			1	18,406
Washington		0	0			8	17,754
Illinois		0	0			11	16,103
New Mexico		0	0			4	8,720
Indiana		0	0			4	8,714
Utah		0	0			4	8,606
Montana		0	0			1	8,535
New Hampshire		0	0			18	3,952
Georgia		0	0			4	3,732
Tennessee		0	0			1	1,691
Maine		0	0			6	1,576
Oklahoma		0	0			1	906
Connecticut		0	0			1	285
Mississippi		0	0			2	194
Vermont		0	0			1	87

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce mercury (inorganic)

Utilities with the highest amounts of mercury (inorganic), 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Picnic Grove Mobile Homes	Malaga, NJ	4 of 4	1.63 ppb	250
Murrieta/hernandez Farms	Kerman, CA	17 of 18	1.52 ppb	29
Bethel Heights Water System	Bethel, AK	1 of 1	1.29 ppb	2,220
Town of Trophy Club Public Improvement D	Trophy Club, TX	1 of 2	1.13 ppb	3,589
Trophy Club Municipal Utility District 1*	Trophy Club, TX	1 of 2	1.13 ppb	8,577
Hidden Valley Light Association	Coldwater, MS	2 of 2	1.05 ppb	59
Grays Harbor Co. Water District 2	Montesano, WA	1 of 1	1.000 ppb	3,507
Knoll Enterprises	Ludlow, CA	4 of 8	0.875 ppb	500
Cassatt Water Kershaw-lee Company RWA	Cassatt, SC	21 of 43	0.871 ppb	25,061
Western Greene	Walcott, AR	24 of 32	0.788 ppb	7,342
Mount Charleston Water Company	Las Vegas, NV	1 of 2	0.730 ppb	20
Vineland Water & Sewer Utility	Vineland, NJ	22 of 28	0.718 ppb	36,250
Deberry Water Supply Corporation	De Berry, TX	1 of 2	0.710 ppb	1,071
Garcia Domestic Wua	San Luis, CO	2 of 2	0.700 ppb	100
Choctaw Valley Mutual Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	1 of 2	0.700 ppb	44
Green Acres Subdivision Ws	West Monroe, LA	2 of 6	0.667 ppb	150
Pg&e Helms Support Facility	Shaver Lake, CA	1 of 2	0.650 ppb	40
Lakeview Estates Mobile Home Community	Mt. Gilead, OH	1 of 2	0.650 ppb	145
Daggett Community Services District	Daggett, CA	1 of 3	0.633 ppb	795
Oak Forest Mobile Home Park	Seaville, NJ	2 of 2	0.573 ppb	300
San Acacio Domestic Wa	San Luis, CO	1 of 2	0.550 ppb	40
MO American Rogue Creek Utilities	Potosi, MO	5 of 5	0.550 ppb	200
Wattenburg Improvement Association	Fort Lupton, CO	1 of 3	0.533 ppb	350
Lake Tarpon Mobile Home Villag	Palm Harbor, FL	1 of 6	0.517 ppb	1,285
Hardy County Psd Marvin Chapel	Moorefield, WV	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	90
J & T Water Company	Terre Haute, IN	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	25
Oak Mountain Country Estates	Sturgis, SD	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	70
Wardensville, Town Of*	Wardensville, WV	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	788
Hardy County Psd-trout Run	Moorefield, WV	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	245
Viejo San Acacio	San Luis, CO	2 of 2	0.500 ppb	45
City of Log Cabin	Log Cabin, TX	1 of 2	0.500 ppb	1,098
West Terre Haute Water	West Terre Haute, IN	2 of 2	0.500 ppb	4,028
Webb Mobile Home Park	Reno, NV	1 of 1	0.500 ppb	30
Stoney Field Mobile Home Park	Pittsford, NJ	2 of 2	0.489 ppb	200
Marquez Rental	Firebaugh, CA	1 of 1	0.480 ppb	50
Cowanshannock M A Sagamore System	Nu Mine, PA	1 of 3	0.467 ppb	300
Craig Public Works	Craig, AK	1 of 1	0.459 ppb	1,475
Plum Point Community Water Association	Pope, MS	1 of 2	0.450 ppb	135
Sun Desert Inc.	Moses Lake, WA	1 of 2	0.450 ppb	25
Friendship Water Department	Friendship, ME	2 of 2	0.435 ppb	85
Meadows Mobile Home Estates	Montross, VA	1 of 6	0.417 ppb	105
Rainier Terrace	Port Orchard, WA	1 of 1	0.400 ppb	125
Twin Pines Health Care Center	West Grove, PA	1 of 2	0.400 ppb	120
Colorado Mountain College Svc	Glenwood Springs, CO	1 of 2	0.385 ppb	715
Chapman Manufactured Housing	Vineland, NJ	2 of 2	0.362 ppb	375
Manderly Mobile Home Park	Festus, MO	1 of 2	0.360 ppb	220
Indian Hills Estates	Nikiski, AZ	1 of 1	0.360 ppb	30
Sherwood Retirement and Personal Care Home	Canton, PA	1 of 2	0.360 ppb	32
East End Wa	La Junta, CO	1 of 2	0.350 ppb	70
Ponderosa Basin Mutual Water Company	Mariposa, CA	6 of 14	0.343 ppb	665

* 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 Mercury (inorganic), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Cassatt Water Kershaw-lee Company RWA	Cassatt, SC	21 of 43	0.871 ppb	25,061
Vineland Water & Sewer Utility	Vineland, NJ	22 of 28	0.718 ppb	36,250
Monroe Twp MUA	Williamstown, NJ	97 of 152	0.292 ppb	26,179
Hamilton Township MUA*	Mays Landing, NJ	6 of 10	0.268 ppb	21,720
Harrison City PWS	Harrison, OH	1 of 2	0.250 ppb	10,000
City of Albemarle*	Albemarle, NC	3 of 12	0.223 ppb	17,874
Epcor Water - Mohave	Youngtown, AZ	6 of 16	0.218 ppb	36,330
Hammonton Water Department	Hammonton, NJ	4 of 6	0.210 ppb	12,153
Sioux Falls*	Sioux Falls, SD	1 of 1	0.200 ppb	158,800
Chambersburg Boro Water Sys*	Chambersburg, PA	1 of 6	0.200 ppb	31,048
Peoples Water Service Company	Pensacola, FL	1 of 10	0.180 ppb	24,081
City of Sulphur Springs*	Sulphur Springs, TX	1 of 6	0.167 ppb	15,449
Belforest Water System	Daphne, AL	3 of 6	0.161 ppb	13,380
Onalaska Waterworks	Onalaska, WI	4 of 9	0.156 ppb	18,000
City of Lynn Haven Water System	Lynn Haven, FL	1 of 4	0.150 ppb	19,045
Millville Water Department	Millville, NJ	8 of 9	0.144 ppb	27,500
City of Clermont	Clermont, FL	1 of 5	0.120 ppb	11,628
City of Trinidad*	Trinidad, CO	1 of 1	0.120 ppb	11,400
California American Water Company - Monterey	Monterey, CA	8 of 190	0.111 ppb	96,754
Granger - Hunter Improvement District	West Valley City, UT	9 of 23	0.1000 ppb	121,083
University of West Florida	Pensacola, FL	1 of 4	0.1000 ppb	13,285
City of Corsicana*	Corsicana, TX	3 of 12	0.0958 ppb	23,770
Breezy Hill WD	Graniteville, SC	7 of 36	0.0839 ppb	15,282
City of Cocoa*	Cocoa, FL	1 of 6	0.0833 ppb	294,039
City of Lawrence Utilities	Indianapolis, IN	2 of 6	0.0833 ppb	46,100
Brownsburg Water Works	Brownsburg, IN	1 of 4	0.0750 ppb	26,000
City of Zephyrhills*	Zephyrhills, FL	4 of 16	0.0750 ppb	23,097
Montclair Water Bureau*	Montclair, NJ	3 of 3	0.0723 ppb	37,669
NJ American Water - Atlantic County	Egg Harbor, NJ	5 of 31	0.0710 ppb	120,146
Town of Elkton*	Elkton, MD	2 of 12	0.0667 ppb	15,625
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County - Yough Plant*	Greensburg, PA	1 of 6	0.0667 ppb	140,000
City of Lexington	Lexington, NE	1 of 15	0.0665 ppb	10,230
Winslow Township DMU*	Braddock, NJ	7 of 14	0.0645 ppb	39,174
Eureka	Eureka, MO	2 of 11	0.0636 ppb	10,574
Northeast*	Davenport, FL	5 of 13	0.0615 ppb	60,557
Highland S & W Authority Beaverdam*	Johnstown, PA	1 of 6	0.0560 ppb	23,140
Albion Village*	Waterport, NY	1 of 6	0.0550 ppb	17,206
Northern Kentucky Water District*	Ft Thomas, KY	3 of 21	0.0524 ppb	199,460
Frankfort Water Works	Frankfort, IN	1 of 4	0.0500 ppb	16,422
La Crosse Waterworks	La Crosse, WI	6 of 22	0.0500 ppb	53,000
Seven Springs	New Port Richey, FL	1 of 2	0.0500 ppb	32,834
City of Temple Terrace Utility	Temple Terrace, FL	2 of 4	0.0500 ppb	31,250
Hardin County Water District #2	Elizabethtown, KY	2 of 12	0.0500 ppb	76,326
Ozark Utilities Board	Ozark, AL	4 of 16	0.0491 ppb	14,907
West Escambia Utilities Inc.	Atmore, AL	2 of 14	0.0479 ppb	12,060
Columbia Water Company	Columbia, PA	1 of 8	0.0475 ppb	25,200
Willingboro MUA*	Riverside, NJ	3 of 7	0.0471 ppb	35,000
Long Neck Water Company	Long Neck, DE	3 of 43	0.0465 ppb	11,180
Schuylkill County. Municipal Authority*	Pottsville, PA	1 of 20	0.0465 ppb	31,850
Livingston Twp Div of Water	Livingston Twp, NJ	10 of 21	0.0464 ppb	27,391