California Cracks Down On Cancer-Causing Pollutant

California officials moved to regulate a cancer-causing pollutant known as 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) in drinking water this month amid concerns that the contaminant has made its way into about 100 public water systems in the state.

The state’s new regulations are the lowest enforceable 1,2,3-TCP limits in the nation, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

California set the limit at 5 ppt for drinking water. 1,2,3-TCP is a man-made chemical traditionally used in industrial cleaning solvents and in some pesticides, NBC Bay Area reported. It is a known carcinogen, according to the water board. Under the new rule, over 4,000 public water systems in California must begin sampling for the pollutant on a quarterly basis beginning in 2018.

“Based on 2015 data, the Division of Drinking Water has estimated that 103 water systems serving approximately 920,000 Californians have detected 1,2,3-TCP above 5 ppt in at least one drinking water source. Communities in several counties within the Central Valley are particularly impacted due to their reliance on groundwater and past use of pesticides containing 1,2,3-TCP in many agricultural areas,” according to the water board.

A May NBC Bay Area investigation identified 94 public water systems in California struggling with the contaminant. The problem centered in Central Valley farming communities.

“Those numbers don’t take into account the nearly 2 million Californians, mostly in rural areas, who get their water from private wells. Experts say many of those wells are also assuredly plagued by 1,2,3-TCP,” NBC Bay Area reported.

An EWG investigation published in April highlighted TCP connected to Shell Oil and Dow Chemical. EWG praised the water board for taking action this month, calling the new regulation a “victory” for Californians.

For similar stories visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Regulations And Legislation Solutions Center.