Report Finds Tainted Drinking Water Across North Carolina, Triad

A new report from an advocacy group says drinking water across much of the country is polluted with a potentially dangerous chemical. That includes communities in North Carolina and in the Triad.

Chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, was detected in thousands of EPA water samples collected nationwide over a two-year period.

The Environmental Working Group analyzed the data and created an interactive map to help residents better understand the readings.

“These EPA results show the contamination, albeit in most cases at very low levels, is very wide spread across the country,” says Bill Walker, managing editor of the Environmental Working Group. “It's in the drinking water for almost two thirds of Americans at levels above what the California scientists said what was a minimum level of concern.”

North Carolinians have heard of hexavalent chromium before. The chemical gained a lot of attention when elevated levels were found in resident's wells near coal ash dump sites.

Scientists say the carcinogen can cause cancer, but its real impact on the environment and human health isn't fully known.

“Chromium-6 is a poster child for the many, many contaminants that are out there that are unregulated," Walker says. "We're not seeing EPA regulations, and in many cases, state regulations keep up with the advances in science,” says Walker.

Currently, there is no federal drinking water standard for the chemical, though the EPA is expected to release guidance on the issue next year.

In the meantime, the Environmental Working Group says a high-grade filter may be the best option for anyone concerned about contaminates in their drinking water.  

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