Arsenic in Drinking Water

Arsenic Level Water Use  

0.010 mg/liter or less (10 PPB or less)

Safe for drinking, cooking and all other domestic uses

  

Between 0.010 and 0.099 mg/liter (10 to 99 PPB)

NOT SAFE for drinking, mixing into beverages, cooking or washing fruits and vegetables

NOT SAFE for pets to drink

SAFE for all other domestic uses, including bathing, washing dishes, doing laundry or irrigation gardens

  

Between 0.100 and 0.499 mg/liter or (100 to 499 PPB)

NOT SAFE for irrigating gardens - arsenic can build up in soil over time and be taken up into vegetables

SAFE for all other domestic uses

  

0.500 mg/liter and greater (500 PPB and higher)

NOT SAFE for any domestic uses

  

 

  •  Boiling the water will NOT remove arsenic.  In fact, it increases the arsenic concentration.

  • Call your local county health department for more information about arsenic in your well water.

What is arsenic and where does it come from?

Arsenic is a naturally-occurring element found in the earth's crust.  As water flows through certain rock formations, the arsenic from the rocks can be dissolved and carried into underground aquifers, streams or rivers that might be used as drinking water sources.

What are the health effects of arsenic?

Arsenic in a health hazard.  Drinking water that contains high levels of arsenic can cause health effects such as:

- Thickening and discoloration of the skin;

- Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

- Heart, lung, liver, immune, nervous or reproductive system disorders and diabetes; and

- Cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, liver and prostate.