Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)
Dichloroacetic acid is one of the five haloacetic acids in HAA5 (group limit 60 ppb). Its EPA health goal (MCLG) is zero.
EPA MCLG
0 mg/L
EPA's health goal is zero — no known safe level of exposure. This is a goal, not an enforceable limit.
Health Effects
Classified a probable human carcinogen; associated with an increased cancer risk in long-term studies. The risk is chronic and lifetime rather than acute.
Common Sources
- Byproduct of disinfecting drinking water with chlorine
- Formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter such as decaying leaves, runoff, and algae
Is your Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) result safe? Get a free reading
The EPA MCLG for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) is 0 mg/L. Upload your water test (PDF or a photo) and we'll email a plain-English reading of where your result lands — and every other number — free. Educational only, no medical claims.
Your upload also helps us keep local water data accurate — we only ever share anonymized, area-level summaries.
Upload my testHow to Remove Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)
How do I get rid of Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) in drinking water?
For Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA), the verified treatment is activated carbon. Activated carbon is a conditional treatment. EPA's designated BAT is plant-scale: enhanced coagulation or softening plus GAC10, nanofiltration below 1000 Da, or GAC20. At point of use carbon adsorbs haloacetic acids but breaks through as the bed loads, and no certified product in our index claims HAA5 reduction — so no certified home removal can be asserted.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.64(b) — Stage 1 & 2 D/DBP Rule (HAA5 MCL 0.060 mg/L; BAT as quoted)
What filter certification covers Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)?
None. No NSF/ANSI standard certifies a filter for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA), and no certified product in our index claims this reduction. That is a verified answer rather than a hole in our data — the same index does carry certified trihalomethane-reduction claims, so the search ran and came back empty for this one. A filter advertised as removing Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) is making a claim no certifier has listed.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.64(b) — Stage 1 & 2 D/DBP Rule (HAA5 MCL 0.060 mg/L; BAT as quoted)
Does a basic water filter pitcher remove Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)?
Only in principle, and no pitcher is certified to prove it. A basic pitcher is an activated-carbon device, and activated carbon is the indicated method for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) — but no certified product in our index claims this reduction, so no pitcher has been tested against it. An NSF/ANSI 42 certification, which most pitchers carry, covers taste and odor and says nothing about Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA).
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.64(b) — Stage 1 & 2 D/DBP Rule (HAA5 MCL 0.060 mg/L; BAT as quoted)
Does boiling water remove Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)?
Largely no, and this is where Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) differs from the trihalomethanes on the same water report. Haloacetic acids are non-volatile — an ingestion concern rather than a shower concern — so heating does not drive them off: in the 2024 comparison of boiling's effect on disinfection byproducts, trihalomethanes were markedly decreased while haloacetic acids were "reduced the least". Residual chlorine can make it worse rather than better: chlorine from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/L could increase haloacetic-acid levels, likely through reaction of organic matter with chlorine at elevated temperatures — chloroform down about 75%, dihaloacetic acids up 58–68% in the study that measured both directions at once. Boiling is not a treatment for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA).
We name no filter for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA), because no NSF/ANSI standard certifies one for it. There is nothing to link to here, and a link would be the wrong answer.
Get Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) Updates
Research updates, regulation changes, and filter recommendations — in your inbox.
Free forever. Unsubscribe anytime. We never share your email.
Is Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) in your water?
Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) has been recorded above its health guideline in 6,083 cities, serving 123.9M people. Each system below was judged against a goal of 0 PPM.
Most affected systems, by population served
- New York, NY8,271,000 people served0.015 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Miami, FL2,300,000 people served0.0145 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Houston, TX2,202,531 people served0.0125 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Sandy Oaks, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Windcrest, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Hollywood Park, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Castle Hills, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Grey Forest, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- China Grove, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
- Balcones Heights, TX1,999,472 people served0.00175 PPMgoal 0 PPM
and 6,073 more cities with a recorded result above the guideline
These are the largest systems that reported a result above the guideline — not the highest results. A city missing from this list has not been shown to be clean: it may have no Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) result on file at all. We publish a level only where a system reported one.
Check your city or ZIP code for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)
Part of a group: disinfection byproducts
This contaminant is rarely measured on its own. Disinfection byproducts in drinking water covers the whole group — what they are, which limits are enforceable, and where they come from.
Others in this group
About the EPA MCLG
The EPA MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. It is a non-enforceable public health goal, and is often stricter than the legal limit (MCL) water systems must meet.
Contaminant Type
Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) is classified as a Disinfection Byproducts contaminant.
Related Disinfection Byproducts Contaminants
Check Your Water
Find out if Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) is in your tap water.
Search cities for Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) dataTest Your Water for This Contaminant
Public water reports may not test frequently enough or at your specific tap. Professional home testing provides current, location-specific results.
SimpleLab
Advanced Home Water Test
$269
Comprehensive water analysis testing over 200 contaminants including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemical compounds.
Tap Score
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9) Test
$275
Tests for disinfection byproducts formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water treatment.
Tap Score
Advanced Microplastics Test
$829
Cutting-edge testing for microplastics particles in drinking water using advanced laboratory techniques.
Get the Weekly Water Brief
One email a week on water testing, treatment, and what water-quality data means for your home.
One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.