Inorganic
Selenium in your water
Is Selenium in drinking water dangerous?
It depends on the level and how long you're exposed. The EPA legal limit (MCL) for Selenium is 50 ppb. Meeting the legal limit isn't the same as zero risk — test your water to know your level.
How do you remove Selenium from water?
Selenium is treated by Water Softener and Reverse Osmosis. Choose a system independently certified to NSF/ANSI standards to reduce Selenium, and test your water first to confirm the level.
Source: EPA MCL / MCLG; WHO guidelines; NSF/ANSI · 2026
Health effects
Selenium is a naturally occurring element that is a necessary nutrient at trace levels but toxic in excess. Long-term high exposure can damage the nervous system, hair, and nails. It enters water from natural deposits and from irrigation drainage.
The health-based goal vs. the legal limit
The federal legal limit (MCL) is the maximum allowed by law. The EPA health goal (MCLG) is the level below which no health risk is expected — it is non-enforceable and often stricter than the legal limit.
EPA health goal (MCLG)
No federal health goal set
Federal legal limit (MCL)
50 ppb
Source: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (MCL / MCLG) · 2026
What removes Selenium
Ion exchange
Water Softener
Swaps the calcium and magnesium that cause hard water for sodium — so scale stops forming.
Look for: NSF/ANSI 44 certification
How it works→Semipermeable membrane filtration
Reverse Osmosis
Pushes water through a fine membrane that removes the dissolved solids most filters miss.
Look for: NSF/ANSI 58 certification
How it works→Where Selenium has been found
Selenium shows up in the public water record for these cities. Each page has the measured level, the legal limit, and what removes it.
- 1
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Is Selenium in your water?
Check your city's public record, then book a free 30-minute test to confirm what's in your home.