On Saturday, the Environmental Working Group released findings of a multi-year study on tap water for major cities nationwide. The study tested MSAs with a population of over 250,000 people and checked for the amount of chemicals present in the water since 2004. Other factors were considered, including the percentage of chemicals present as well as each individual pollutants highest average amount present. Pensacola/Emerald Coast Utility Authority ranked at the the very bottom – 100 out of 100.
More than half of the chemicals detected are not subject to health or safety regulations and can legally be present in any amount. The federal government does have health guidelines for others, but 49 of these contaminants have been found in one place or another at levels above those guidelines, polluting the tap water for 53.6 million Americans. The government has not set a single new drinking water standard since 2001.
Pollution Summary
45 Total Contaminants Detected (2004 – 2008): Barium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Trichlorofluoromethane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 2,2-Dichloropropane, Monochloroacetic acid, Dibromoacetic acid, Chloroform, Xylenes (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Cadmium (total), Lead (total), Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Heptachlor epoxide, MTBE, Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), Bromoform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), 1,2-Dichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Benzene, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Radium-226, Radium-228
10 Agricultural Pollutants (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms): Cyanide, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Ethylbenzene, Heptachlor epoxide, 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), 1,2-Dichloropropane
12 Sprawl and Urban Pollutants (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste) Cyanide, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Trichlorofluoromethane, Xylenes (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, Cadmium (total), Lead (total), MTBE, Tetrachloroethylene, Benzene
35 Industrial Pollutants Barium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Trichlorofluoromethane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 2,2-Dichloropropane, Xylenes (total), p-Dichlorobenzene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Cadmium (total), Lead (total), Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, MTBE, 1,2-Dichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Benzene, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Radium-226, Radium-228
10 Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts) Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Bromoform, Dibromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Cadmium (total)
13 Naturally Occurring (naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development) Nitrate, Barium (total), Lead (total), Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Uranium (pCi/L), Chromium (total), Alpha particle activity (incl. radon & uranium), Selenium (total), Nitrite, Mercury (total inorganic), Cyanide
6 Unregulated Contaminants EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants Trichlorofluoromethane, 2,2-Dichloropropane, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane, Lead (total), MTBE
Here is the report – read here.. Last summer ECUA issued press release announcing that it had won recognition for the best tasting water (ECUA tastes good )
In their 2008 Water Quality Report (ecua_consrep ), ECUA writes: “We are pleased to report that ECUA’s drinking water meets all federal and state requirements! The ECUA Drinking Water System is within full compliance of Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) limits as shown in the 2008 System-Wide Test Results table.”