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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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17-beta-Estradiol

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Beta-estradiol is one of the 3 types of estrogen made by the human body. Sex hormones get into water downstream from livestock and pharmaceutical production, or incomplete removal in waste water treatment. There are no standards to gauge how risky additional hormones are for human health.

2013-2019:

FOUND

1

states detected

3

utilities detected

252,000

people served

States reporting 17-beta-estradiol in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
California3251,974
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce 17-beta-estradiol

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Activated Carbon

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Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of 17-beta-estradiol, 2013-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Sacramento Suburban Water District*Sacramento, CA3 of 1120.0220 ppt171,200

* 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 17-beta-Estradiol, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Sacramento Suburban Water District*Sacramento, CA3 of 1120.0220 ppt171,200

* 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 17-beta-Estradiol, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.