Benzene in Drinking Water

What you need to know about benzene in your tap water.

EPA Limit (MCL)

5 ppb

EPA Goal (MCLG)

0 ppb

Category

Organic

Health Effects

Anemia, decrease in blood platelets, increased cancer risk

Common Sources

Discharge from factories, leaching from gas storage tanks

How to Remove Benzene from Water

Recommended filtration methods: Granular activated carbon

7,613

Total Violations

2,111

Systems Affected

Benzene Violations by State

StateViolationsSystems
Pennsylvania1,792455
Texas985270
Oklahoma90396
New York539193
Oregon329105
Alaska30660
Idaho26559
Alabama26277
Utah25769
Colorado22077
Montana19489
North Carolina18057
Arizona16635
Connecticut15753
Illinois14433
Indiana11448
Puerto Rico11044
Massachusetts6232
Michigan6126
Tennessee6121

Water Systems with Most Benzene Violations