Fleck 1,4-Dioxane Filter

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Decision to Make This Week

If you’re noticing or hearing about 1,4-dioxane in your water, the decision you face is determining what the available data means and how to address your household’s specific water quality needs.

Why a Low-Level Detection Is Reported to Three Decimal Places and What Precision Means Here

Federal monitoring records show no detected 1,4-dioxane above 0.07 micrograms per liter (µg/L)

The public water system serving Anne Arundel County, including Glen Burnie-Broadneck, was monitored for this cyclic ether between 2013 and 2015. Twelve samples showed no measurable dioxane above the reporting level of 0.07 µg/L, which is 0.07 parts per billion (ppb). Reporting to three decimal places reflects the instrument sensitivity, not a health finding for individual homes.

Measurement precision does not indicate unsafe conditions or violations

A detection reported near the instrument’s detection limit simply means that the instrument did not find dioxane at or above that threshold during sampling of the public system source water. It is not a health-based violation or a standard exceedance but a quantification limit for reliable detection.

How Reverse Osmosis Rejection Rates Are Stated and Why a Percentage Is Not a Guarantee

Reverse osmosis can partially reduce some dissolved contaminants but is not a guaranteed total solution for dioxane

Reverse osmosis systems may list rejection percentages for compounds, but these are based on controlled conditions. In practice, varying water chemistry and system configuration affect performance. Dioxane is particularly challenging because it is a small, cyclic ether molecule that is not readily removed by conventional filtration or carbon treatment.

Partial filtration performance highlights the need for specialized treatment options

Households seeking to address dioxane should consider equipment designed specifically for this contaminant, recognizing that general filtration or RO units do not assure full reduction to below detection.

What the Measured Range Means Against the Relevant Federal Standard, and What It Does Not Mean

The EPA’s cancer risk reference concentration is 0.35 µg/L for 1,4-dioxane, and no detected sample approaches this level in Anne Arundel

The public water system’s monitored results from 2013-2015 show no detected levels above 0.07 micrograms per liter, well below the EPA's health-based cancer risk reference concentration of 0.35 µg/L. These findings indicate that the water supply does not have any recorded health-based violation related to this constituent.

Detection does not equate to contamination or health risk without further testing of household water

Government monitoring addresses the water system source, not an individual home’s water quality, which can vary due to plumbing materials, localized conditions, or private well sources. Testing your own water is necessary to understand your particular situation.

Why 1,4-Dioxane Moves Ahead of the Solvent Plume It Stabilized, and What That Means Downgradient

As a cyclic ether solvent stabilizer, dioxane behaves differently in groundwater than many contaminants

1,4-Dioxane is miscible with water and does not readily adsorb onto soil or organic matter, meaning it can migrate further ahead of other solvent contaminants that it once stabilized. This characteristic requires attention in areas near industrial or landfill sites, though this public system’s groundwater source has not shown elevated levels.

Downgradient water users should be aware of local land use and contamination history

Understanding the groundwater flow and potential sources helps households assess risk. The public water system’s records provide broad regional insight but do not replace individual water testing to confirm your household’s exposure.

What Happens When This Problem Is Left Untreated for Years, Stated Without Exaggeration

Long-term exposure to unaddressed dioxane in drinking water is a potential health concern over decades according to federal risk assessments

While no health-based violations are recorded for the Glen Burnie-Broadneck system, sustained consumption of water with elevated 1,4-dioxane may increase risk due to its categorization as a possible human carcinogen. This does not imply current danger but underscores the value of monitoring and filtration where warranted.

Managing water quality proactively helps maintain confidence in water safety

Households may wish to test their water for 1,4-dioxane concentrations and consider treatment equipment designed to address this constituent. The Fleck 1,4-Dioxane Filter ships ready to configure and uses technology targeted for this contaminant, offering a purposeful solution when elevated levels are confirmed.

Summary of Regional Water Quality Data and Further Information

The Glen Burnie-Broadneck public water system serving Anne Arundel County, Maryland, draws from groundwater sources and showed zero detected 1,4-dioxane above the reporting limit of 0.07 micrograms per liter in federal monitoring from 2013 to 2015. No health-based violations related to this cyclic ether are recorded by EPA. Households concerned about dioxane in their own water should conduct specific testing to understand their individual condition. For complete federal data, visit the EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule records online.

Where this information comes from

Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2014-08-06. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.

On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Glen Burnie-Broadneck (MD0020017), MD: 12 results across 1 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level