The City of Fresno provides tap water to its residents, which comes from both surface water and groundwater sources. The water is treated and disinfected to remove contaminants, but some pollutants may still be present in the water that could pose health risks to people who consume it.
According to data from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), several contaminants have been detected in the City of Fresno’s tap water, some of which exceed the health guidelines set by the organization. These include:
- 1,2,3-Trichloropropane: Detected at a level of 0.00449 parts per billion (ppb) in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.0007 ppb. This chemical can cause cancer.
- 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP): Detected at a level of 0.0631 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.0017 ppb. This chemical can cause cancer and is regulated by a legal limit of 0.2 ppb.
- Arsenic: Detected at a level of 0.658 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.004 ppb. Arsenic is a carcinogen and is regulated by a legal limit of 10 ppb.
- Bromodichloromethane: Detected at a level of 0.138 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.06 ppb. This chemical can cause cancer.
- Chromium (hexavalent): Detected at a level of 2.40 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.02 ppb. Chromium (hexavalent) is a carcinogen.
- Dichloroacetic acid: Detected at a level of 1.44 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.2 ppb. This chemical can cause cancer.
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5): Detected at a level of 1.57 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.1 ppb. These chemicals can cause cancer and are regulated by a legal limit of 60 ppb.
- Haloacetic acids (HAA9): Detected at a level of 4.00 ppb in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.06 ppb. These chemicals can cause cancer.
- Nitrate: Detected at a level of 4.55 parts per million (ppm) in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.14 ppm. Nitrate is a carcinogen and is regulated by a legal limit of 10 ppm.
- Nitrate and nitrite: Detected at a level of 3.18 ppm in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 0.14 ppm. These chemicals can cause cancer and are regulated by a legal limit of 10 ppm.
- Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS): Detected at a level of 2.10 parts per trillion (ppt) in the water. The EWG’s health guideline for this contaminant is 1 ppt. A proposed legal limit for this chemical is 4 ppt.
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): Detected at a level of 0.183 ppt in the water. The EWG’s health guideline