The Murray City Water System in Salt Lake County, Utah, serving over 38,000 people via groundwater sources, has undergone federal testing for 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) from 2014 to 2015. These tests reported no detections above the 0.03 micrograms per liter (µg/L) reporting level for this chlorinated solvent. Understanding what this means for your household water requires unpacking the history and behavior of 1,2,3-TCP, federal measurement practices, and treatment considerations.
If You Know 1,2,3-TCP Originated from Legacy Soil Fumigants
1,2,3-trichloropropane is a chlorinated solvent once used as an impurity in soil fumigants applied broadly between the 1950s and 1980s. Due to its chemical stability and persistence, residues from these agricultural uses have gradually leached downward, reaching the deep groundwater that supplies municipal water systems like Murray City's. This historical soil fumigant use explains why 1,2,3-TCP can still be found in groundwater decades after its application ceased.
If You Are Considering How Granular Activated Carbon Bed Depth Affects TCP Contact Time
The C-Series technology utilized in specialized filtration equipment relies on granular activated carbon (GAC) to adsorb 1,2,3-trichloropropane from water. Unlike taste-related impurities, TCP requires sufficient contact time between water and carbon. A deeper carbon bed increases contact time, which is critical because 1,2,3-TCP adsorbs more slowly than many other contaminants. This means that filters designed specifically with adequate bed depth provide more effective reduction of TCP levels compared to those optimized only for common taste and odor compounds.
If You Are Comparing Measured 1,2,3-TCP Ranges to Federal Standards
Federal records show zero detections above 0.03 µg/L during monitoring in Murray City's water system. Notably, there is no federal maximum contaminant level (MCL) established for 1,2,3-trichloropropane, so these detections do not signify any compliance violation or confirmed safety concern. Rather, a detection above the reporting level simply reflects that a trace amount was measured. Conversely, non-detections mean concentrations were below the instrument’s ability to report confidently at that threshold.
If You Wonder Why the 1,2,3-TCP Reporting Level Is Much Lower Than for Common Metals
The reporting level for 1,2,3-trichloropropane in this federal occurrence survey—0.03 micrograms per liter—is set thousands of times lower than typical detection limits for metals like lead or arsenic. This low level is due to TCP’s potent chemical characteristics and its association with legacy contamination concerns, which require sensitive instruments to identify minimal traces. However, this sensitivity should not be taken as a direct indicator of health risk without context and site-specific analysis.
If You Know That 1,2,3-Trichloropropane Is Resistant to Air Stripping
1,2,3-TCP’s chemical properties make it resistant to air stripping, a treatment method that removes volatile organic compounds by transferring them from water to air. This resistance means air stripping is not effective for managing TCP in water supplies. Instead, technologies using granular activated carbon adsorption, such as the C-Series 1,2,3-TCP Filter, are documented to address this chlorinated solvent effectively by capturing it onto carbon media during water flow.
In summary, the federal water system record for Murray City in Salt Lake County shows no measurable 1,2,3-TCP above the reporting level from 2014-2015, reflecting low or undetectable presence of this legacy solvent in local groundwater sources. Understanding the origin and persistence of 1,2,3-trichloropropane along with the specifics of sensitive federal testing can help you decide if household water testing is warranted. Should you need to manage detected 1,2,3-TCP, filtration using the C-Series 1,2,3-TCP Filter technology offers a documented approach to reduce this compound effectively.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2015-03-27. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Murray City Water System (UTAH18024), UT: 35 results across 1 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level