Facts About Atazine Testing

The Facts About Atrazine Testing

• Atrazine levels in water are DECLINING. Over a 12-year period (1994-2006), atrazine concentrations in raw and drinking water monitored in 12 states declined by as much as 74%.
• The EPA's drinking water standard for atrazine is 3 parts per billion. This is an annual average. This standard has a built-in, 1000-fold safety factor.
• Over the last three years, NO WATER SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. had annual average atrazine levels in their drinking water greater than the federal standard of 3 parts per billion.
• In 2003, EPA and Syngenta entered into an agreement that required Syngenta to monitor certain water systems that were considered at risk to have higher atrazine levels--the Atrazine Monitoring Program (AMP)
• The AMP program tests raw and finished water weekly during the growing season and biweekly the rest of the year. The water is tested for atrazine plus three metabolites (breakdown products).
• The EPA's benchmark for concern in the AMP program is 37.5 parts per billion over a 90-day period.
• According to an EPA report released in August 2009:Through its review of these data, the Agency has confirmed that none of the systems have exceeded OPP's level of concern, a 90-day average of 37.5 parts per billion (ppb) of atrazine and its degradates. In fact, the Agency has released 20 CWS from the program because these systems have had no exceedences of EPA’s level of concern after five years of monitoring. EPA has added approximately 20 CWS into the program based on data gathered under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).