Xylenes, Total in drinking water
1,764 active public water systems in 41 states had a Xylenes, Total violation in the past three years, and 72 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 Xylenes, Total and lists the water systems whose records include a related violation. It does not show measured levels.
Is Xylenes, Total 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
Xylenes are a group of three isomeric aromatic hydrocarbons (ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene) used as solvents and chemical intermediates in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, and paints. They enter drinking water primarily through leaking underground fuel storage tanks and industrial spills, as they are components of gasoline and jet fuel.
Health effects
Short-term exposure above the MCL can cause nervous system effects including headache, dizziness, and impaired coordination. Chronic exposure is associated with liver and kidney damage. EPA has not classified total xylenes as human carcinogens. The general population is at risk; children may be more sensitive to neurological effects.
The standard and what a violation means
EPA limit: 10 mg/L (10,000 ppb).
Water systems with a Xylenes, Total 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 198 | 4% | 11 |
| Texas | 171 | 2% | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 170 | 2% | 6 |
| Michigan | 166 | 1% | 4 |
| Alaska | 101 | 8% | 5 |
| Oregon | 86 | 3% | 3 |
| New Jersey | 77 | 2% | 5 |
| Colorado | 74 | 3% | 4 |
| Oklahoma | 72 | 6% | 0 |
| Indiana | 66 | 2% | 3 |
| Idaho | 48 | 2% | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 45 | 0% | 5 |
| Montana | 40 | 2% | 0 |
| West Virginia | 39 | 5% | 1 |
| Wyoming | 35 | 5% | 2 |
| Arizona | 34 | 2% | 3 |
| Missouri | 34 | 1% | 2 |
| Virginia | 31 | 1% | 2 |
| Vermont | 30 | 2% | 3 |
| California | 29 | 0% | 2 |
| Nevada | 28 | 5% | 0 |
| North Carolina | 26 | 1% | 1 |
| Utah | 26 | 2% | 1 |
| Alabama | 18 | 3% | 0 |
| Maine | 18 | 1% | 0 |
| Tennessee | 15 | 2% | 0 |
| Ohio | 14 | 0% | 1 |
| Iowa | 13 | 1% | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 1% | 0 |
| Washington | 11 | 0% | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 9 | 2% | 1 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 0% | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 0% | 1 |
| New Mexico | 4 | 0% | 0 |
| Kansas | 3 | 0% | 0 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 0% | 1 |
| Maryland | 2 | 0% | 0 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 0% | 0 |
| Florida | 1 | 0% | 0 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 0% | 0 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 0% | 1 |
Largest water systems with a Xylenes, Total 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tucson City of Tucson · Pima County |
732,906 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Mesa City of Mesa · Maricopa County |
466,000 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Chandler City of Chandler · Maricopa County |
247,328 | 4 | 0 | |
|
Trenton Water Works Ewing Twp, Hamilton Twp, Hopewell Twp.1106- and 2 more · Mercer County |
217,000 | 8 | 2 | |
|
Corona, City of Corona · Riverside County |
169,380 | 6 | 0 | |
|
City of Sunnyvale Sunnyvale · Santa Clara County |
157,566 | 5 | 0 | |
|
Sandy City Water System Salt Lake County |
99,750 | 2 | 0 | |
|
Epcor San Tan Johnson Ranch · Pinal County |
87,435 | 3 | 0 | |
|
Flagstaff City of Flagstaff · Coconino County |
79,796 | 5 | 0 | |
|
East Orange Water Commission East Orange City · Essex County |
75,000 | 6 | 1 |
About this data
A system is counted once if any of its violations in the past three years involved Xylenes, Total, including monitoring and reporting lapses. Rules violated and status in the systems table are for the whole system, not Xylenes, Total 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.