What Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) is, and why it's regulated
What the EPA limit means
0.5000 µg/L
Maximum Contaminant Level — the enforceable ceiling a supplier must stay under.
0.0 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 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) 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.
| Supplier | City | State | Level vs EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkins City of | Elkins | WV | 0.7330 µg/L 147% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 0.5000 µg/L |
| Port St. Joe, City of | Port St. Joe | FL | 0.3700 µg/L 74% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Choctaw - Tucker | Choctaw | MS | 0.3250 µg/L 65% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Jenkins Water System | Jenkins | KY | 0.1600 µg/L 32% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Waitsburg City of | — | WA | 0.1500 µg/L 30% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Jasper Municipal Water Utility | Jasper | IN | 0.1400 µg/L 28% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| River Villas | Satsuma | FL | 0.1300 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Grayson Utility Commission | Grayson | KY | 0.1290 µg/L 26% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Prestonsburg City Utilities | Prestonsburg | KY | 0.1200 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Salyersville Municipal Water | Salyersville | KY | 0.1200 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Knott Co Water & Sewer District | Vicco | KY | 0.1200 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Louisa Water Department | Louisa | KY | 0.1195 µg/L 24% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Green Oaks Mhp | Thonotosassa | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Seminole - Big Cypress | Hollywood | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Seminole Utilities Immokalee | Hollywood | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Twin Lakes Ntua | Twin Lakes, Toh-La-Kai, Black Springs Wa | AZ | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Faith Farms Ministries | Boynton Beach | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Florida Governmental Utility Authority | Lehigh Acres | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Frostproof, City of | Frostproof | FL | 0.1100 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Seminole Utilities Hollywood | Hollywood | FL | 0.1091 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Seminole - Brighton Reservation | Hollywood | FL | 0.1071 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Casamero Lake-Smith Lake Ntua | Casamero Lake, Borrego Pass, Smith Lake | AZ | 0.1000 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Greensburg Municipal Water Works | Greensburg | IN | 0.1000 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| St. Lucie Mobile Village | Indiantown | MI | 0.1000 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
| Sweetwater Ntua | Sweetwater, Red Mesa | AZ | 0.1000 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L |
Frequently asked questions about Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
What is Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in drinking water?
Polychlorinated biphenyls are banned industrial coolants that persist in sediment; they are probable carcinogens.
What is the EPA limit for Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)?
The EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level for Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) is 0.5000 µg/L, and its health goal (MCLG) is 0.0 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 Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in US tap water?
Of the 15,672 water suppliers with results on file, 37 detected Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) — 0.2% of those tested.