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DBCP In Drinking Water: What Does It Mean? Page 2 32 million pounds of DBCP were sold and applied yearly in the United States, mainly for soybeans. California used 426,000 pounds at its peak use in 1977. DBCP use in California was stopped in 1977 after it was found to cause infertility and sterility (reduced or no sperm) in workers who formulated the pesticide. In 1979 its use was banned nationally in all states except Hawaii due to concerns about worker sterility and the cancer risk from eating produce with DBCP. Before DBCP was discovered in California ground water in 1979, experts believed that pesticides would not contaminate underground water supplies. They expected that DBCP would be adsorbed to the soil and be broken down chemically or biologically before it could reach the water table. This proved incorrect. Extensive water contamination has been found in agricultural areas where DBCP was used. In California this is mainly in the San Joaquin Valley. It is estimated that as many as 500,000 Californians have DBCP in their drinking water supply. DBCP has been detected in more than 2,000 wells, including more than 230 public drinking water wells, in agricultural areas of the state. The DBCP levels in California generally are less than 10 ppb but often exceed the new standard of 0.2 ppb. HOW DO I FIND OUT IF MY DRINKING WATER HAS DBCP? Public water utilities are required to notify customers if DBCP is detected in the water higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL). All public water utilities serving more than five households are now required by law to sample for all contaminants having MCL's. They must sample the water at least every three years or more frequently if the water supply is found likely to be contaminated. Because of the high analytical costs, however, only water systems in areas where DBCP was used have been required to monitor for DBCP. Water suppliers are required to notify customers when MCL's are exceeded (such as through the next billing, newspaper ads, or other means) and to communicate yearly about the biological, physical, organic, and mineral quality of the water. County health departments are responsible for seeing that monitoring is carried out by small -system water suppliers (5 to 199 service connections) while the Public Water Supply Branch of the California Department of Health Services (DHS) oversees monitoring of large water system (200 or more service connections). A list of Public Water Supply Branch offices is found at the end of this document. FOR PRIVATE WELLS If you have your own well and you live in an agricultural area where DBCP has been found, you should consider having your well water tested or extensively used. (Information on how to have water tested is available from you county health