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Contaminant guide

Cadmium in drinking water

The EPA limit for Cadmium in drinking water is 5 µg/L. Of the 33,728 water suppliers tested, 1,044 had it detected.

5 µg/L
EPA limit (MCL)
3.1%
of suppliers detected it
(1,044/33,728)

What Cadmium is, and why it's regulated

Cadmium leaches from galvanised pipes and industrial runoff; it damages the kidneys over time.

What the EPA limit means

⚖️

5 µg/L

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

🎯

5 µg/L

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 Cadmium 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
China Lake Acres Mutual Water Company Inyokern CA
60 µg/L 1200%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Santa Lucia Preserve Ws Carmel CA
30.5 µg/L 610%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Crown King Water Company Crown King AZ
30.35 µg/L 607%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Vista Del Toro Ws Corral De Tierra CA
23.4 µg/L 468%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Acton Mud Granbury TX
17.607 µg/L 352%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
North Fork Creek Ii TX
15.64 µg/L 313%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
City of Godley Godley TX
15.2 µg/L 304%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
High Chaparral Estates Mhp NJ
13.7 µg/L 274%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Fort Polk North Water System Fort Polk LA
13.3275 µg/L 267%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Higby Club Water System Webb NY
13.2 µg/L 264%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Anaconda MT
12 µg/L 240%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Edgemere Condominium Assn., Inc. East Hampton CT
12 µg/L 240%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Shelby, Village of Shelby NE
11.9 µg/L 238%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Glen Burnie-Broadneck Millersville MD
10.88 µg/L 218%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Holiday Mobile Park Inc. Montgomery NY
10.23 µg/L 205%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Paw Winola PA
10.105 µg/L 202%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Del Oro River Island Serv Terr #1 CA
7.725 µg/L 155%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Del Oro Wc - Country Estates Dist CA
6.7 µg/L 134%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Wyocena Waterworks Wyocena WI
6.2 µg/L 124%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Chinle-Many Farms-Del Muerto Ntua Chinle, Many Farms, Del Muerto AZ
6 µg/L 120%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Veolia Water New York Clarkstown NY
5.9 µg/L 118%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Antwerp Village Pws OH
5.4 µg/L 108%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Granville Granville IL
5.3 µg/L 106%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Nacimiento Water Company CA
5.2 µg/L 104%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L
Yerkes Water Association Collegeville PA
5.2 µg/L 104%
of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 5 µg/L

Frequently asked questions about Cadmium

What is Cadmium in drinking water?

Cadmium leaches from galvanised pipes and industrial runoff; it damages the kidneys over time.

What is the EPA limit for Cadmium?

The EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level for Cadmium is 5 µg/L, and its health goal (MCLG) is 5 µg/L. 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 Cadmium in US tap water?

Of the 33,728 water suppliers with results on file, 1,044 detected Cadmium — 3.1% of those tested.