American Falls, City of
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2021 - March 2021), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility Details
- American Falls, Idaho
- Serves: 4,225
- Data available: 2014-2019
- Source: Groundwater
Contaminants Detected
5
EXCEED
EWG HEALTH
GUIDELINES
11 Total Contaminants
- Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
- Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
- The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
Looking for a countertop water filter?
Find out which filters earned EWG's recommendation
See the guideContaminants Detected
Arsenic
Potential Effect: cancer1,790x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINEArsenic
more aboutthis contaminant
Arsenic is a potent carcinogen and common contaminant in drinking water. Arsenic causes thousands of cases of cancer each year in the U.S. Click here to read more about arsenic.
Arsenic was found at 1,790 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.004 ppb for arsenic was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
![agriculture icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-agriculture.png)
Agriculture
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Nitrate
Potential Effect: cancer23x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINENitrate
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.
Nitrate was found at 23 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.
Pollution Sources
![agriculture icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-agriculture.png)
Agriculture
![urban area icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-runoff-sprawl.png)
Runoff & Sprawl
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Nitrate and nitrite
Potential Effect: cancer23x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINENitrate and nitrite
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.
Nitrate and nitrite was found at 23 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Health Risks
The health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.Pollution Sources
![agriculture icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-agriculture.png)
Agriculture
![urban area icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-runoff-sprawl.png)
Runoff & Sprawl
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Radium, combined (-226 & -228)
Potential Effect: cancer14x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINERadium, combined (-226 & -228)
more aboutthis contaminant
Radium is a radioactive element that causes bone cancer and other cancers. It can occur naturally in groundwater, and oil and gas extraction activities such as hydraulic fracturing can elevate concentrations.
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) was found at 14 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
Health Risks
EWG applied the health guideline of 0.05 pCi/L, defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal for radium-226, to radium-226 and radium-228 combined. This health guideline protects against cancer.Pollution Sources
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Uranium
Potential Effect: cancer11x EWG'S HEALTH GUIDELINEUranium
more aboutthis contaminant
Uranium is a known human carcinogen. The federal legal limit for uranium is set at 30 micrograms per liter (corresponding to parts per billion), but utilities can also report uranium in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. EWG translated all uranium results to pCi/L using a conversion factor developed by the EPA. With this conversion approach, the limit of 30 ppb corresponds to 20 pCi/L. Drinking water with this much uranium would cause more than 4.6 cancer cases in a population of 100,000. California set a public health goal for uranium of 0.43 pCi/L.
Uranium was found at 11 times above EWG's Health Guideline.
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
pCi/L = picocuries per liter
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.43 pCi/L for uranium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. Three most common uranium isotopes are U-234, U-235 and U-238. All isotopes of uranium are radioactive, and the total radioactivity depends on the ratio of isotopes. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Includes chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages exceeded an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority; radiological contaminants detected between 2014 and 2019.
Barium is a mineral present in rocks, soil and water. High concentrations of barium in drinking water increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 700 ppb for barium was defined by EWG as benchmark that protects against harm to the kidneys and the cardiovascular system.
Pollution Sources
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Chromium (total)
more aboutthis contaminant
Chromium is a naturally occurring metal, but industrial uses can elevate its levels in water. One form, hexavalent chromium, causes cancer. Total chromium is not a good indicator of the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Pollution Sources
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Ethylene dibromide
more aboutthis contaminant
Ethylene dibromide, a likely human carcinogen, was used until 1984 as a gasoline additive and a pesticide. It affects the hormone, reproductive and nervous systems; causes testicular atrophy; and damages the heart, liver and kidneys.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.01 ppb for ethylene dibromide was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against cancer.
Pollution Sources
![agriculture icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-agriculture.png)
Agriculture
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
Filtering Options
![carbon filter icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Carbon-Icon.png)
Activated Carbon
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
Fluoride
more aboutthis contaminant
Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Pollution Sources
![water treatment icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-treatment-byproducts.png)
Treatment Byproducts
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
Nitrite
more aboutthis contaminant
Nitrite, closely related to the fertilizer chemical nitrate, comes from urban runoff and from fertilizer applied to agricultural lands to pollute drinking water. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Excessive nitrite in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer.
How your levels compare
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppm = parts per million
Pollution Sources
![agriculture icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-agriculture.png)
Agriculture
![urban area icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-runoff-sprawl.png)
Runoff & Sprawl
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
![ion exchange icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/IonExchange_Icon.png)
Ion Exchange
Selenium
more aboutthis contaminant
Selenium is an essential element in diets. But too much selenium can decrease thyroid hormone production and cause hair loss, skin lesions and brittle fingernails.
How your levels compare
EWG Health Guideline
This Utility
Legal Limit
National Average
State Average
ppb = parts per billion
Health Risks
The EWG Health Guideline of 30 ppb for selenium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against hair loss and nail damage.
Pollution Sources
![industry icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-industry.png)
Industry
![naturally occuring icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/pollution-source-naturally-occuring.png)
Naturally Occurring
Filtering Options
![reverse osmosis icon](https://static.ewg.org/reports/2017/tap-water/img/Osmosis-Icon.png)
Reverse Osmosis
Includes chemicals detected in 2017-2019 for which annual utility averages were lower than an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authori.
Other Contaminants Tested
✕American Falls, City of compliance with legally mandated federal standards:
- From April 2019 to March 2021, American Falls, City of complied with health-based drinking water standards.
- 7 QUARTERSin violation of any federal drinking water standard from April 2019 to March 2021
Information in this section on American Falls, City of comes from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online database (ECHO).
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS UTILITYWater Filters That Can Reduce Contaminant Levels
Contaminant | Activated Carbon | Reverse Osmosis | Ion Exchange |
CONTAMINANTS ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | |||
Arsenic | ✔ | ✔ | |
Nitrate | ✔ | ✔ | |
Nitrate & nitrite | ✔ | ✔ | |
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Uranium, combined (pCi/L) | ✔ | ✔ | |
OTHER CONTAMINANTS DETECTED | |||
Barium | ✔ | ✔ | |
Chromium (total) | ✔ | ✔ | |
Ethylene dibromide | ✔ | ✔ | |
Fluoride | ✔ | ||
Nitrite | ✔ | ✔ | |
Selenium | ✔ |
Take Action
Contact Your Local Official
One of the best ways to push for cleaner water is to hold accountable the elected officials who have a say in water quality – from city hall and the state legislature to Congress all the way to the Oval Office – by asking questions and demanding answers.
LEARN MOREFilter Out Contaminants
Check out our recommendations for filters to protect your water against the detected contaminants.
EWG’S WATER FILTER GUIDE