Selenium in Drinking Water

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

EPA Limit (MCL)

50 ppb

EPA Goal (MCLG)

50 ppb

Category

Inorganic

Health Effects

Hair or fingernail loss, numbness, circulatory problems

Common Sources

Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries, natural deposits

How to Remove Selenium from Water

Recommended filtration methods: Reverse osmosis, activated alumina

4,204

Total Violations

1,548

Systems Affected

Selenium Violations by State

StateViolationsSystems
Pennsylvania888278
Texas714219
Georgia352112
New York323143
Colorado21386
Arizona14438
Mississippi14326
Utah11839
Alabama9433
North Carolina9132
Missouri7945
Indiana7842
Montana7645
Oklahoma7631
New Jersey7430
Alaska6544
Illinois6315
Connecticut6030
Maryland6014
Oregon5728

Water Systems with Most Selenium Violations