Toxic Metals Plague:California community threatened

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Unsafe water has plagued Californian homes. Small public water systems across the state found to have a high level of lead and other substances affecting thousands of people, schools and businesses.

According to Natural News, a study conducted by Harvard University found out that tap water may be contaminated with life threatening concentrations of noxious chemicals used in pipe insulations, firefighting solutions, stain proofing formulas and various chemical and industrial products. California, New Jersey, North Carolina and other American states are contaminated with these health hazard chemicals.

Polyflouroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl or PFAS found in food wrappers, pots, pans and firefighting foams, heavily contaminates larger scale water systems throughout the United States. These chemicals that have been linked to hormone disruption, high cholesterol, obesity and even cancer, are passing through the inadequate wastewater treatment systems and into the people's tap water with unknown levels.

Likewise, per The Californian, smaller agencies with limited resources more often struggles to comply safety protocols. However, neither of the state nor the small agency have the capacity to safely monitor the drinking water as often as larger systems do. That is why regulators are encouraging consolidation and a new law that requires any new small system coming on the line to first consider joining an existing system.

Serving 38 household in rural Sonoma County, Rick William, board president of Bodega Water Company, said, "The real interesting story is the amount of testing that is required by a water system."

Bodega Water Company provider of fresh and clean drinking water and waste water treatment and recycling, has seen a large amount of lead substance in drinking water five times since 2010. "The problem is not the water or wells that supply it but its old lead plumbing fixtures inside the community's historic homes", Rick Williams also explain.

Lead and other toxic metals can cause severe complications to health especially on children. Ingesting them may lead to brain damage and other physical ailments. Experts say no amount of lead is considered safe.

Concerns for small water systems not meeting the standards for other contaminants has prompted officials to try to limit the number of new small water systems and combine existing water systems when possible.

The Californian reported that the Desert Sun analysis of EPA data found that since 2010 there are 541 public water systems in the state have high lead levels in their drinking water and violations for improper testing.

Cindy Forbes, deputy director for the State Water Resources Control Board's Division for Drinking Water, said, "The smaller water system suffers from not having an economy scale. They do not have sufficient customers to pass charges on to, so even the monitoring costs would really hit them in the pocketbook."

As a response, a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September, which will take effect on January, that requires anyone seeking a permit for a new water system must consider connecting to an existing system and compare the costs of consolidation versus creating a new one.

The process to eliminate and reduce toxic metals would take longer but still it is worthy.