I see by the papers, one of the wells supplying water to Los Angeles has been shut down, on account of high levels of hexavalent chromium, or chromium VI. Other wells in the area are threatened, and will be shut down if the plume reaches them.
Los Angeles water officials have turned off a drinking water well near Burbank Airport, the first of what may be many wells to be idled as a costly result of a new spreading plume of underground chromium pollution.
You might also be interested in this, for reference, from the "hot topics" factsheet on chromium.
In the San Fernando Valley, 14 of 84 DWP wells contain detectable amounts of chromium. However, individual wells do not represent what customers actually receive since many well supplies are combined for use. The water served to LADWP customers is consistently below the detectable level of 5 parts per billion for total chromium. Nonetheless, LADWP is proactively researching treatment alternatives for chromium removal, and will be prepared to meet any new standard the State establishes.
About Filtration Systems
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is not recommending that its customers use filtration devices as related to the levels of chromium found in drinking water. The levels of chromium 6 in the water served to our customers is below 5 parts per billion (ppb), far below the existing drinking water standard in California which is 50 ppb for total chromium and the Federal standard which is 100 ppb for total chromium.
It is true that we have a few wells with total chromium values over 5 ppb, but their water is treated or blended, or the well removed from service to ensure that the chromium 6 in the water actually served to our customers, is always under 5 ppb.
Ultimately it is the customer's choice. There are a few products that can possibly further remove chromium 6 from your water. For the protection of our customers, we advise them to look for an NSF certification, specifically for chromium 6 removal, on the equipment, and require documentation from the manufacturer that proves that the equipment is certified for use in California by the State Dept. of Health Services as a water purification system.
There are always a few businesses that will try to capitalize on this issue without sharing the full story or misquoting facts to alarm or otherwise mislead the public. LADWP Customers are advised to get all the facts. For more information, visit the following official websites at:
California Department of Health Services http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/org/ps/ddwem/chemicals/chemindex.htm
Cal/EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment http://www.oehha.ca.gov/water/phg/
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power http://www.ladwp.com/ Last Updated: April 6, 2001
And I will mention that if you're really worried about chromium VI in your water, you can always add a little vitamin C. This vitamin is an antioxidant, and will change the chemical state of the chromium to chromium III, which is a nutrient.
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