HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM

You may have seen the movie, Erin Brockovich, based on a true story of a $333 million class action lawsuit against a large utility in California accused of contaminating the water supply of a small town in that state. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed that due to the town's well water supply being contaminated, illnesses such as arthritis, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, and clubbed feet increased in their community.

The Arlington Water Utilities Department and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) (formerly TNRCC) routinely test Arlington drinking water for total chromium, which includes testing for hexavalent chromium.  Results of testing done during 1999 show that total chromium was not detected in Arlington drinking water. This means that no hexavalent chromium was present in either test completed by Arlington Water Utilities or TCEQ.

The Arlington Water Utilities Department has always conducted thorough testing of its water to ensure that contaminants, if present, are effectively eliminated from the water supply. Both treatment plants (Pierce Burch and John F. Kubala), located in and maintained by the City of Arlington, continue to meet or exceed the minimum requirements of all water quality standards and regulations.

On March 17, 2000, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) issued a press release related to the film, bringing attention to the damage water polluters do to drinking water quality and public health.

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