1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) in drinking water
913 active public water systems in 30 states had a 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) violation in the past three years, and 48 had one in the latest quarter of EPA's data.
You are on Tapcensus, an independent guide to the EPA compliance records of every public water system in the United States. This page explains 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) and lists the water systems whose records include a related violation. It does not show measured levels.
Is 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) in the records for your water system?
Enter a ZIP code, town, or street address to see the water systems that serve your area, their status, and which rules and contaminants appear in their violations.
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What it is and where it comes from
DBCP is a halogenated aliphatic soil fumigant used to control nematodes on crops including pineapple, grapes, and citrus. Its use was banned in the United States in 1979 after it was linked to male sterility in factory workers. DBCP is highly mobile in soil and extremely persistent in groundwater, and remains a significant contaminant in agricultural regions such as California's Central Valley.
Health effects
DBCP is classified by EPA as a probable human carcinogen (Group B2). It causes male reproductive toxicity — including reduced sperm count and sterility — at relatively low exposure levels. Chronic exposure is also associated with kidney damage. Men of reproductive age and developing fetuses are most at risk.
The standard and what a violation means
EPA limit: 0.0002 mg/L (0.2 ppb).
Water systems with a 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) violation, by state
Active public water systems that reported at least one related violation to EPA in the past three years. Each state links to the list of its affected systems.
| State | Systems with violations, 3 yr | Share of active systems | In violation, latest quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 171 | 2% | 8 |
| Oklahoma | 98 | 8% | 0 |
| Texas | 92 | 1% | 0 |
| Oregon | 75 | 3% | 3 |
| New Jersey | 64 | 2% | 4 |
| Illinois | 42 | 1% | 9 |
| Idaho | 40 | 2% | 3 |
| Colorado | 39 | 2% | 4 |
| California | 34 | 0% | 3 |
| Connecticut | 33 | 1% | 1 |
| Alabama | 27 | 5% | 0 |
| Indiana | 27 | 1% | 2 |
| Wyoming | 27 | 3% | 1 |
| Alaska | 25 | 2% | 0 |
| Vermont | 22 | 2% | 3 |
| Nevada | 16 | 3% | 0 |
| Arizona | 13 | 1% | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 1% | 1 |
| North Carolina | 12 | 0% | 1 |
| Montana | 9 | 0% | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | 2% | 0 |
| Washington | 8 | 0% | 2 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 0% | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 0% | 0 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 0% | 0 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 1% | 0 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 0% | 0 |
| Michigan | 1 | 0% | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 0% | 0 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 0% | 0 |
Largest water systems with a 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) violation
The ten biggest systems, by people served, whose records include a related violation in the past three years.
| System | Serves | Status | Rules violated, 3 yr | Unresolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Denver Water Board Denver County |
1,287,000 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth Allegheny County |
520,000 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Gilbert, Town of Gilbert · Maricopa County |
247,600 | 9 | 1 | |
|
Corona, City of Corona · Riverside County |
169,380 | 6 | 0 | |
|
City of Sunnyvale Sunnyvale · Santa Clara County |
157,566 | 5 | 0 | |
|
Inima USA / Aquaria LLC Dighton · Bristol County |
105,643 | 1 | 0 | |
|
Queen Creek Town of Queen Creek · Maricopa County |
95,502 | 1 | 0 | |
|
Aqua WSC Bastrop County |
86,325 | 5 | 1 | |
|
GW Santa Cruz Water CO Maricopa · Pinal County |
84,000 | 7 | 0 | |
|
Flagstaff City of Flagstaff · Coconino County |
79,796 | 5 | 0 |
About this data
A system is counted once if any of its violations in the past three years involved 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP), including monitoring and reporting lapses. Rules violated and status in the systems table are for the whole system, not 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP) alone. Counts cover active systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Source: the U.S. EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online system (ECHO), which publishes the federal Safe Drinking Water Information System. EPA's terms and values are shown as published. The records are from EPA's data refresh of Oct 7, 2026; EPA refreshes this data quarterly, and states report to EPA with a lag of three to six months, so the newest violations may not appear yet.