Alachlor in Drinking Water
EPA limits, health effects, and what to do if your water is affected.
🩨 Health Effects
Long-term exposure above the MCL can cause eye, liver, kidney, or spleen problems, and anemia. Alachlor is a probable human carcinogen.
📍 Sources in Water
A widely used herbicide on corn and soybeans. Enters water through agricultural runoff. Detected in surface water and shallow groundwater in the Corn Belt, especially in the Midwest.
✅ What To Do
Activated carbon and reverse osmosis can reduce alachlor. Violations are most common in surface water systems in the Midwest during spring runoff.
Check your tap water for Alachlor
Search your ZIP code to see if your water system has had Alachlor violations, plus lead testing results and an overall safety grade.
Search your ZIP code →Data from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). MCLs reflect minimum federal standards; some contaminants may pose health risks below these thresholds.