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Pesticides in My Drinking Water?

Individual precautionary measures and community action

By Drew Toher

esticides contaminate surface water, groundwater, and drinking

water throughout the United States. This problem requires
individual precautionary measures and preventive communitybased action to protect ones self and ultimately stop ongoing pesticide
use that ends up in drinking water from numerous agricultural, public
land, and home and garden uses. Beyond Pesticides urges a solution
that keeps pesticides out of the water, rather than trying to clean them
up after they enter our waterways and drinking water supply.
The cleanup approach either through expensive enhanced
technological fixes for public water utilities, individual private well
filters, or consumption of bottled water is fraught with controversy
over (i) acceptable regulatory levels of hazards associated with
ingestion or absorption of pesticides from water intake, (ii) issues
related to whether the regulatory and enforcement systems are
robust enough, (iii) numerous unanswered questions about chemical
mixtures, synergistic effects of pesticides and other toxic chemicals
found in water, and low level exposure, and (iv) inadequate and
expensive removal technologies that are costly for taxpayers. As
explained here, individual action is a necessary short-term remediation
tactic for reducing exposure that must lead to community-based
adoption of land management policies that do not allow hazardous
pesticide use. With the growth of organic management practices
including agricultural, public lands, and home and garden, this
approach represents a practical and feasible path toward safer drinking
water nationwide.

How Do Pesticides Get into My Drinking Water?

Rain or snow melt carries pesticides from agricultural fields, golf
courses, parks, and residential properties through storm drains and
into local water reservoirs, endangering wildlife and stressing our
water treatment facilities. Pesticides also seep into our water table
where they can contaminate groundwater and enter private wells.
Many pesticides can volatilize and attach to particles and become
airborne. These chemicals can drift within a neighborhood, region, or
even hundreds or thousands of miles from their application site (some
pesticides have even been found in snowpack in remote areas of U.S.
National Parks!),1 carried in fog and rain clouds before being deposited
into public drinking water sources. Improperly disposed pesticide
products in unlined landfills can also contaminate groundwater and
end up in our water supply.
Is My Water Safe?
Widespread concern over drinking water safety in the U.S. compelled
the 93rd Congress to craft the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (SDWA).
The act empowered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to set legally enforceable standards for maximum contaminant levels

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Jackson announced a new Drinking Water
Strategy for the agency in an effort to
strengthen public health protection from
contaminants. To this end, EPA released
its new Human Health Benchmarks for
Pesticides in 2012, setting guidelines for
over 350 chemicals chronic and acute
effects in sensitive populations, including
women and children.3 Although the
benchmarks are a step forward, because
no federal MCLs have been set for these
chemicals, enforcement and oversight still
need to be strengthened in order for the
new benchmarks to have an impact.

Pathways of pesticide movement in the hydrologic cycle (modified from Barbash and Resek, 1996). http://
pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs03400/#pesticides.

(MCL) in drinking water. MCLs are intended to mark the maximum concentration
at which a substance causes no adverse
health effects in the general population.

risks posed by pesticides in waterways

because: (1) values are not established
for many pesticides, (2) mixtures and
breakdown products are not considered,
(3) the effects of seasonal exposure to high
concentrations have not been evaluated,

Public Drinking Water Safety

Under SDWA, public water systems must
provide customers with an annual report
of their drinking water quality. The report
includes information on contaminants
detected during the year and how they
compare to state and federal MCLs.
Water utilities are required to have this
information by July 1 of each year. Some
water utilities post their reports online or
send them to their customers.

You can request a report from your

local utility directly at any time. Contact
information is available at bit.ly/drinklocal.
EPA has set MCLs for over 90 contaminants,
With information in hand, talk to your
including some pesticides, but
local utility and public health
after nearly 30 years since the
department if pesticides are
Studies of U.S. Rivers and streams currently document:
passage of the SDWA, upwards
found in your public water
of 10% of public U.S. water
system; discuss pesticide
< 100% of U.S. streams have detectable levels of at least one
treatment systems do not
use patterns that contribute
pesticide,4
meet the requirements set by
to contamination, and the

< 56% of streams contain one or more pesticides that
the agency. Moreover, in terms
adoption of local policies or

exceed at least one aquatic-life benchmark;5
of pesticide contamination,
an ordinance that facilitates
< 50% of shallow wells have detectable levels of pesticides,2
current federal and state
the transition to organic

< 20% of private wells contain at least one contaminant
MCLs for public water supplies
practices not reliant on the
at levels of potential health concern, and;6
are raising intense scientific
contaminants found in water.
< 90% of the 139 municipal water systems sampled by EPA in
controversy within executive
For assistance in organizing a
2003/2004 contained detectable levels of atrazine,7
agencies due to claims
campaign to eliminate toxics in

< 50% of drinking water sites sampled in the Midwest
of inadequate regulatory
your community, see Beyond
contain levels of atrazine above EPA MCLs.2
attention.
Pesticides booklet PesticideFree Zones in Your Community
The U.S. Geological Surveys
at bit.ly/pesticidefree. You
(USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment
and (4) some types of potential effects,
can also contact Beyond Pesticides at 202Program (NAWQA) has criticized EPA
such as endocrine disruption and unique
543-5450 or info@beyondpesticides.org
for not setting adequate water quality
responses of sensitive individuals, have
for a copy of our model municipal policy.
benchmarks for pesticides. According
not yet been assessed.2
to NAWQA, Current standards and
Annual reports are a useful reference, but
guidelines do not completely eliminate
In 2010, then EPA Administrator Lisa
remember that current MCLs are

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under scrutiny for not adequately
reflecting hazard, especially to vulnerable
populations such as children, elderly,
and those with pre-existing illnesses.
Additionally, these reports often fail to
reflect spikes in contamination levels.
Spikes occur most often in agricultural
areas during the spring or fall planting
season. In more urban areas, they may
occur in relation to in-season lawn and
garden pesticide use. EPA does not
consider temporary spikes a human
health hazard, but scientific studies
continue to show that even low doses of
pesticides below federal MCLs can cause
harm.8 Pregnant women,9 children,10
elderly,11 and the chemically sensitive are
particularly vulnerable to these events.

Well Water Safety

According to EPA, approximately 15%
of Americans rely on their own private
drinking water supplies.12 However, EPA
does not regulate the quality of private
well water. Therefore, it is important
for those obtaining their drinking water
from wells to routinely check the supply
for contaminants. People who use older,
deteriorating wells or those that are
shallow or poorly constructed, or near
agricultural areas are most susceptible
to pesticide contamination. Any cracks

present in the well could allow for the

infiltration of pesticides.13
Factors to consider when thinking about
testing the water in your well for pesticides
include:
Age of the well
Depth of the well
Circumference of the well
Soil type on your property
Proximity to areas where pesticides
are heavily applied, such as golf
courses, agricultural fields or natural
gas wells
Proximity to pesticide distributors/
businesses
If other testing reveals high levels of
nitrates (though low levels of nitrates
do not ensure that the water is
contaminant-free)
If other wells in your area have
detected pesticide residues
If pesticides have been spilled or
mixed near your well
If you are unsure about the use of
pesticides in your area
Generally, new wells drilled deeper
than 200 feet below ground with a two
inch pipe are safer than most in terms
of pesticide contamination. Most local
health departments can perform an

Water well for the Herkimer House in Danube, Herkimer County, New York. September 2009
Author: Wknight94.

inspection of your well site to check for

any vulnerability. If your well is at risk from
any of the factors listed above, consider
testing your well for one or more of the
pesticides used frequently in your area.

Where Can I Find a Testing

Lab?
National Testing Laboratories, Ltd offers a
WaterCheck Water Quality Test with Pesticide Option, which tests for bacteria,
heavy metals, inorganic chemicals, volatile organic chemicals, plus 20 additional
pesticides and PCBs. You collect water
samples, ship them overnight to the lab,
and they return the results. The kit can
be ordered online at http://www.ntllabs.
com/residential.html.
State or local agriculture or health
departments can also test for pesticides,
or help find a private lab that is certified to
test drinking water in your area. Find your
local agricultural cooperative extension
contact information at bit.ly/coopoffices.
Healthguide USA is a resource for finding
your local health department. Contact
information: bit.ly/USAhealth.

Which Tests Should I

Request?
Testing for pesticides is more expensive
than testing for bacteria or nitrates. Often
it is least expensive to screen your water
sample for a range of chemicals that
may be in your area. Speaking with your
local health department or agricultural
extension office about the pesticides
that are applied most often in your
region should help you determine which
chemicals to screen. If you live close to
an agricultural field and use well water,
you may want to contact the farmer and
ask directly which chemicals are applied to
the land. Likewise, those near golf courses
may want to ask the head groundskeeper
what pesticides are applied.
Although the screening method is
less expensive and can identify select
hazardous chemicals, a comprehensive
pesticide test is more accurate and better
able to determine if other pesticides are
present. If you do decide to screen

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Home testing kits can be helpful in
identifying the presence of certain
chemicals above the MCL, but no home
testing kit can completely determine the
safety of your drinking water. In order
to receive the most accurate results, a
certified laboratory is the best place to
send your samples. Again, as with the
screening, if you detect the presence of
any pesticides, you will want to follow
up with comprehensive testing from
a certified laboratory. Contact Beyond
Pesticides at info@beyondpesticides.org if
you have any additional questions about
the pesticides to look for in your area.

How do I Interpret My Results?

Current drinking water standards can
be viewed on EPAs website at bit.ly/
waterstandard. Note that your state and
county may have adopted stricter drinking
water standards than those required by
EPA.
your water sample and it detects any
pesticides, you will want to follow up
with comprehensive testing to determine
concentrations of the chemical(s) in
questions. You also may want to contact
your local health department and alert it
to the detection, as officials may want to
become involved in any further testing.

Additional questions concerning the

health implications of your water testing
results can be handled by your testing
company, local agricultural extension,
or health department. However, the
changing nature of federal and state MCL
determinations concerning what are
considered acceptable levels of pesticide
contaminants in water make it difficult

to predict the health implications of

detections, especially for pesticides found
at low levels, as well as concerns about
chemical mixtures. Scientific studies
have shown that low dose exposure
under federal MCLs to certain pesticides
can result in serious health problems.
Therefore, it is prudent for all homeowners
to take proper precautions if they discover
any pesticides in their drinking water,
even when results show the chemical to
be under federal MCLs. To view scientific
studies about the potential dangers of
low-dose pesticide exposure, see Beyond
Pesticides Pesticide Induced Diseases
Database: bit.ly/pidd.

What if I Find Pesticides

in My Drinking Water?
The Short Term Solution
Even when below MCLs, pesticide
detection in your drinking water can put
your health at risk. If tests determine
that your houses drinking water is
contaminated with pesticides, there are
many filtration options which can be
installed to remove the chemicals. The
most cost-effective and efficient way to
purify your homes water is to treat only
the water you plan to consume. This is
known as a point-of-use water treatment
system. However, note that contaminants

Is Bottled Water the Answer?

The tremendous growth of the bottled water industry over the past 20 years is a good indication that Americans are skeptical about
the safety of their drinking water supply. Bottled water is convenient and may taste better, but is it a solution to contaminated water?
Bottled water, being a packaged food product, is regulated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and not EPA. FDAs
allowable limits for contaminants generally follow EPA MCL guidelines, but oversight is lacking in many areas.14 For example, while
public water systems are required to undergo quarterly testing from certified labs, bottled water is only required to be tested
once a year, and the tests are not required to come from certified labs. Additionally, while public water systems are required to
report any violations to state or federal officials, bottled water manufacturers have no such requirement. Therefore, in terms of
pesticide contaminants, bottled water, including spring water and artesian well water, is only required to meet minimum federal
guidelines.15
Given the aforementioned problems with federal MCLs, bottled water is not a 100% safe alternative to normal municipal water
supplies. Unless your well water or public water supply has dangerous levels of pollutants, it is not advisable or economical to
rely on bottled water for the majority of your drinking water. Bottled water also consumes large amounts of plastics and requires
transportation, both of which use fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. Depending on the chemicals removed, a point-ofuse water treatment system may be a safer and more economical way of ensuring you and your family has access to pesticide-free
drinking water in the short term.

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A few examples of point-of-use water treatment systems that remove pesticides:

Reverse osmosis filters (also called ultrafiltration). Reverse osmosis filters are said to remove 99 percent of the toxic chemicals in
water, including some pesticides. Reverse osmosis utilizes normal household water pressure to force water through a selective semipermeable membrane that separates contaminants from the water. Treated water emerges from the other side of the membrane,
and the accumulated impurities left behind are washed away. However, the downside of reverse osmosis filters is that they use a
great deal of energy and water. Reverse osmosis filters generally can be purchased for $300 to $600.
Distillers. Another device that will remove almost everything from water is a
distiller. Distillers electrically heat water until it turns to steam; the steam then
condenses and turns back into water in a separate chamber, leaving behind 99
percent of the contaminants. The disadvantage of distillers is that countertop
models must be filled manually and they use a lot of electricity and may take
several hours to produce one gallon of water. Distillers also do not remove
metals such as lead and copper from the water. These products range from $100
to $300.

Carbon water cartridge. Photo Courtesy Emilian Robert

Vicol, July 31, 2010.

through the skin, so shower or bath water

should be considered a route of exposure.
It is important to perform some research
before purchasing a point-of-use water
device because health and safety claims
made by manufacturers can be misleading.
Some systems only improve the taste and
odor of water, while others go further
and actually reduce pesticides and other
contaminants concentrations. When
considering a treatment device, make sure
to read the data sheets provided by the
manufacturer. Also look for independent
documentation on the performance of the
device for the contaminants of concern.
Ideally, seek out devices that are
certified with the independent nonprofit organization National Sanitation
Foundation (NSF), whose logo should
appear on its data sheets. NSF requires
annual re-certification, periodic retesting,

Activated carbon (AC) Filters. Many AC filters remove pesticides in addition to

chlorine, radon, trihalomethanes, and some inorganic chemicals. Check before
buying to find out exactly what is removed. It is very important to be vigilant about
replacing the filter cartridge because it may accumulate the contaminants it cleans
from water, and bacteria may breed in it. Effectiveness of a particular carbon unit
is directly related to the amount of activated carbon it contains. Beneath-thecounter systems with dual filters typically cost from $100 to $200. If you rent your
home and beneath-the-counter systems are impractical, at the same cost there
are now larger, over-the-counter, faucet-attachment carbon filters. Many of the
less expensive, big-name faucet-attachment models are only somewhat effective
at filtering organic chemicals, so the extra money is worth it. Whole house
systems can be installed as well as showerhead models, both of which will also
decontaminate water used for bathing.

and also preforms unannounced plant

inspections of filtration manufacturers.
Use NSFs Certified Drinking Water
Treatment Units online database as a
guide to find a filter at bit.ly/nsfcertified.
If there are certain chemicals of concern
in your water, the guide can direct you to
products that claim to specifically reduce
the contaminant in question.

The Long Term Solution

Precautionary measures at your household
faucet are only the first steps toward an
end goal of clean water from source to
tap. We must consider how the trajectory
on which we are headed will impact future
generations, and make adjustments so
that a reliance on short-term solutions
does not become ingrained in how we
respond to these problems.
Beyond Pesticides encourages you to get

active and speak with members of your

community and local government about
changing land management practices in
order to safeguard local water supplies.
Working with your city, county, or town
to implement organic land management
policies will drastically reduce the
pesticides in local waters and also
encourage private homeowners to forgo
their use of these chemicals. At a time of
widespread pesticide contamination in
our drinking water sources, inadequate
government regulation, and a rampant
distrust of tap water, we need, more
than ever, land management policies that
restore public trust in our ability to manage
environmental issues, and safeguard the
health of all individuals and communities
now and into the future.
A fully cited version of this available at
http://bit.ly/pesticidesandyou.

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Endnotes
1. Hageman, Kimberley J. et al. 2010. Variability in Pesticide Deposition and Source Contributions to Snowpack in Western U.S. National Parks. Environmental Science and Technology. 44(12) p. 4452-4458 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/
es100290q?journalCode=esthag
2. Ryberg, K.R., Vecchia, A.V., Martin, J.D., and Gilliom, R.J., 2010, Trends in pesticide concentrations in urban streams in the United States,
19922008: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 20105139, 101 p.
3. See EPA, Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides, http://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/pesticides/f?p=HHBP:home:7862150895069.
4. Beyond Pesticides Brochure. Threatened Waters: Turning the Tide on Pesticide Contamination. October, 2006.http://www.beyondpesticides.org/water/water-brochure.pdf
5. Gilliom, Robert J. 2007. United States Geological Survey Pesticides in US Streams and Groundwater. http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/
pnsp/pubs/files/051507.ESTfeature_gilliom.pdf
6. DeSimone, Leslie. 2009. United States Geological Survey. Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United
States, 19912004. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5227/includes/sir2008-5227.pdf
7. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 2009. Poisoning the Well. http://www.nrdc.org/health/atrazine/files/atrazine.pdf
8. Ross, SM et al. 2013. Neurobehavioral problems following low-level exposure to organophosphate pesticides: a systematic and metaanalytic review. Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 43(1):21-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23163581
9. Pine, Michelle D. et al. 2008. The Pyrethriod Pesticide Esfenvalerate Suppresses the Afternoon Rise of Luteinizing Hormone and
Delays Puberty in Female Rates. Environmental Health Perspectives.116(9): 1243-1247 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC2535629/
10. Greenlee, Anne R. et al. 2004. Low-Dose Agrochemicals and Lawn Care Pesticides Induce Developmental Toxicity in Murine Preimplimentation Embryos. Environmental Health Perspectives. 112(6):703-709 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15121514
11. Perspectives. 118(9):1235-42 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20444671
12. Environmental Protection Agency. Private Drinking Water Wells. http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/index.cfm
13. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater. Tests for Drinking Water from Private Wells.
2011.http://dnr.wi.gov/regulations/labcert/documents/testsforwell.pdf
14. See: Leiba, Nnka et al. Environmental Working Group. 2011. 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard. http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/bottledwater2010/pdf/2011-bottledwater-scorecard-report.pdf; Olson, Erik D. Natural Resources Defense Council. 1999. Bottled Water:
Pure Drink or Pure Hype? http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp
15. 21 CFR, pt. 165 110 (2012) http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=e8b7a7992ba5413d50490c47e2f2e69b&rgn=div5
&view=text&node=21:2.0.1.1.38&idno=21#21:2.0.1.1.38.2.1.1

BEYOND PESTICIDES

701 E Street, SE n Washington DC 20003

202-543-5450 phone n 202-543-4791 fax
info@beyondpesticides.org n www.beyondpesticides.org