Residents in Bear, Hockessin, and surrounding New Castle County receive their water primarily from the Artesian Water Company, which uses surface water sources. This public water system serves over 230,000 people across more than 85,000 connections. Understanding VOCs (volatile organic compounds) detected in this system requires distinguishing federal health-based standards from aesthetic secondary standards and knowing what water testing reveals about household versus system-level conditions.
Why Aesthetic Secondary Standards Differ from Health-Based Limits, Applied to VOCs
The EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) makes no maximum contaminant level (MCL) for the VOCs detected in the Artesian system. Detections such as 1,1-dichloroethane and HCFC-22 were measured but are not violations or health-based exceedances. Aesthetic secondary standards, like noticing taste or odor changes, may occur below or above these detections but do not indicate health risk. For these VOCs, aesthetic considerations generally involve odor or taste rather than direct health effects regulated by enforceable limits.
What a Certified Laboratory Test for VOCs Reports and How to Read It
Laboratory testing for VOCs like 1,1-dichloroethane or HCFC-22 identifies concentrations in micrograms per liter (µg/L). In the Artesian system, detected values ranged up to 0.17 µg/L, all below any federal MCL. Such tests provide precise measurements but must be interpreted in context: detection means the compound was measurable, not necessarily problematic. Reading these results involves comparing reported values to EPA health-based MCLs if they exist, or understanding that absence of an MCL means no federal health standard applies to those VOCs.
Household Symptoms That Do and Do Not Point to VOCs Issues
Common household signs associated with VOCs include unusual tastes or chemical odors in water. However, many domestic water issues like discoloration, cloudiness, or sudden plumbing corrosion stem from other causes. The limited VOC presence identified in the local system makes widespread VOC-related symptoms less likely. To isolate VOC-related concerns, households should consider specific tastes or unusual odors that differ from routine changes possibly caused by local plumbing or water source conditions.
Questions a Commercial or Industrial Operator Adds That a Household Does Not
Commercial and industrial users often require more detailed VOC profiling because some processes are sensitive to even trace VOC levels. They must consider maximum allowable VOC levels for equipment protection and product quality, in addition to health and aesthetic concerns. Metrics such as peak concentrations, chemical interactions, and regulatory compliance thresholds are more critical at these scales than for residential use, where basic presence and aesthetic impact are primary considerations.
How to Compare This Area's VOC Record with Neighboring Counties Without Overreading It
New Castle County’s data reflects detections of VOCs with no federal MCL exceedances. Neighboring counties may have different detection frequencies or values due to varying water sources or industrial influences. However, differences in monitoring scope, sample sizes, and timing mean direct comparisons must be cautious. A higher detection rate in one county does not necessarily indicate a health concern nor guarantee better water quality in another; it reflects monitoring results limited by the number of samples and regional water sources.
The Order in Which to Rule Things Out, from Cheapest Check to Laboratory Test
- Begin with observing water taste and odor at the tap for unusual chemical characteristics
- Check for plumbing materials or recent repairs that might influence water quality
- Review your local water quality reports from Artesian Water Company for system trends
- If concerns persist, seek testing of household water by a certified laboratory specializing in VOC analysis
For households in Bear, Hockessin, and New Castle County deciding on water treatment approaches to address VOCs, the Pentair VOCs & Industrial Chemicals Filter is a documented option. This system ships ready to configure and is designed to reduce the types of volatile organic compounds detected in local public water supplies. Matching the filter’s demand capacity to your household’s measured VOC presence can help ensure effective water treatment tailored to your conditions.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2014-07-16. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Artesian Water Company (DE0000552), DE: 250 results across 7 listed contaminants, 3 detections above the reporting level; no federal MCL for these UCMR-listed VOCs
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