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Contaminant guide

Asbestos in drinking water

The EPA limit for Asbestos in drinking water is 7 MFL. Of the 10,201 water suppliers tested, 186 had it detected.

7 MFL
EPA limit (MCL)
1.8%
of suppliers detected it
(186/10,201)

What Asbestos is, and why it's regulated

Asbestos fibres enter water from decaying cement pipes; ingestion is linked to benign intestinal polyps.

What the EPA limit means

⚖️

7 MFL

Maximum Contaminant Level — the enforceable ceiling a supplier must stay under.

🎯

7 MFL

Health goal (MCLG) — the level with no known health effect. It is a goal, not a legal limit, and is often zero for carcinogens.

🧪

SYR4

Where these measurements come from. Hover the tag for the EPA programme and years.

Where Asbestos was found

The water suppliers reporting the highest levels, worst first. For lead and copper that is the 90th-percentile result the action level is written against; for Six-Year Review data, the 95th percentile of each system's samples.

SupplierCityStateLevel vs EPA limit
Rockwood Estates Mutual Water Company Morgan Hill CA
370 MFL 5286%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Fcwwd 41/shaver Lake Fresno CA
103.75 MFL 1482%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
City of Arp Arp TX
70.9333 MFL 1013%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Ashford Highlands Mwc Hollister CA
25.25 MFL 361%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Nogales City of Nogales AZ
20.005 MFL 286%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
City of Devine Devine TX
17.5693 MFL 251%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Central Wcid of Angelina County Pollok TX
16.6747 MFL 238%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Jefferson Co Rwd 1 Meriden KS
15.326 MFL 219%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Matawan Borough Water De Old Bridge twp.-1209 NJ
15 MFL 214%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Union Parish Waterworks District 1 Farmerville LA
14.465 MFL 207%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Martindale Wsc Martindale TX
11.5445 MFL 165%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 7 MFL
Yosemite Spring Park Util Co Coarsegold CA
6.665 MFL 95%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Carmel Wd 7 Carmel NY
6.4 MFL 91%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Redland Wsc Lufkin TX
6.2139 MFL 89%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Panacea Area Water System Panacea FL
6 MFL 86%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Green Acres Mutual Water Morgan Hill CA
5.99 MFL 86%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
South Bainbridge Poulsbo WA
5.862 MFL 84%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Red Lodge Water Dept Red Lodge MT
5 MFL 71%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Village of Dry Prong Water System Dry Prong LA
4.6 MFL 66%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Adams Village Adams NY
4.27 MFL 61%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Ephraim City Ephraim UT
4 MFL 57%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Tisbury Water Works Tisbury MA
4 MFL 57%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Sunriver Water Llc/Sunriver Utilities Sunriver OR
2.706 MFL 39%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Elk Creek Community S.D. Elk Creek CA
2.54 MFL 36%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL
Tuttle — —
2.4 MFL 34%
of the EPA limit 7 MFL

Frequently asked questions about Asbestos

What is Asbestos in drinking water?

Asbestos fibres enter water from decaying cement pipes; ingestion is linked to benign intestinal polyps.

What is the EPA limit for Asbestos?

The EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level for Asbestos is 7 MFL, and its health goal (MCLG) is 7 MFL. A result above the limit means the supplier must act; the goal is the level at which no health effects are expected.

How common is Asbestos in US tap water?

Of the 10,201 water suppliers with results on file, 186 detected Asbestos — 1.8% of those tested.