Over 60 Million Americans Exposed to Toxic Drinking Water As EPA Refuses To Act
Nationwide testing has revealed dozens of unregulated industrial and agricultural contaminants in tap water systems, according to a ProPublica analysis. Ineffective U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules have left many exposed to chemicals like 1,2,3-trichloropropane, a solvent and pesticide byproduct linked to cancer but unrestricted and unnoticed for years.
As far as state and federal officials are concerned, the drinking water in Smithwick, Texas, is perfectly safe.
Over the past two decades, the utility that provides water to much of the community has had little trouble complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is intended to assure Americans that their tap water is clean.
Yet, at least once a year since 2019, the Smithwick Mills water system, which serves about 200 residents in the area, has reported high levels of the synthetic chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane, according to data provided by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an advocacy organization that collects water testing results from states.
As far as state and federal officials are concerned, the drinking water in Smithwick, Texas, is perfectly safe.
Over the past two decades, the utility that provides water to much of the community has had little trouble complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is intended to assure Americans that their tap water is clean.
Yet, at least once a year since 2019, the Smithwick Mills water system, which serves about 200 residents in the area, has reported high levels of the synthetic chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane, according to data provided by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an advocacy organization that collects water testing results from states.
The TCP levels in the Smithwick Mills system are alarming to those who study water contamination. As with many chemicals, there’s limited information on TCP’s long-term effect on humans.
But research involving animals shows evidence that it increases cancer risks at lower concentrations than many other known or likely carcinogens, including arsenic. Because of this, in 2017, California state regulators set a maximum allowable level for TCP in water of 5 parts per trillion.
Water quality tests from the Smithwick Mills utility have revealed an average TCP level of 410 parts per trillion over the past four years — more than 80 times what would be allowed in California.
But the utility hasn’t taken any action. It doesn’t have to. The chemical isn’t regulated in drinking water by the EPA or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which means neither agency has ever set a maximum allowable level of TCP.
It’s not clear why Smithwick Mills was even monitoring for the chemical, though state officials said many utilities receive results for TCP as part of routine lab tests for a variety of chemicals that get reported to state regulators.
Residents said they received no notices about the high levels, which weren’t shared in the town’s annual consumer confidence reports from 2019 to 2021, the first three years TCP was recorded in its water. TCP test results appeared in the 2022 report, which the water utility sent to residents after a ProPublica reporter reached out to the company earlier this year.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/health/over-60-million-americans-exposed-to-toxic-drinking-water-as-epa-refuses-to-act