HOUSTON COULD BE THE NEXT FLINT, MICHIGAN

cancer-causing toxin is infecting Houston’s tap water at dangerous rates. The chemical made infamous by Erin Brockovich, hexavalent chromium or chromium 6, has been found at such high levels in Houston that the city now ranks third across the country in its concentration of the deadly agent, reports the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC. Cancer rates start to rise at a concentration of .02 parts per billion (ppb)—a part per billion is roughly one drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool— but in Houston, the water averages .75 ppb. In some cases, the chromium 6 rates in the city rise over 6.0, which is 300 times the recommended health level according to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. “The level that you’re talking about in Houston would mean an additional 330 some cases of cancer over a lifetime,” Bill Walker, EWG’s Managing Editor, told Houston’s Channel 2. “It could also cause damage to livers and kidneys,” Rice University’s Dr. Qilin Li told Channel 2 of the chromium 6 findings. Dr. Li also said she would install her own water filtration system if she lived in an area with such a high concentration of chromium 6. Chromium 6 occurs in the environment due to the natural erosion of chromium deposits in things such as rocks, soil, and volcanic dust, but it can also be compounded by pollution from industries such as mining and electroplating. Upon questioning by Channel 2, Houston’s Public Works and Engineering said it is currently unknown whether there is more factory contamination in the high chromium 6 areas. Meanwhile, Houston’s Drinking Water Operations conducts over 15,000 tests on drinking water samples each month, but neither the federal government nor the state have set chromium 6 standards for drinking water. In addition, neither the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) specifically monitors chromium 6 outside the general category of chromium. “The health and safety of all Americans is a priority, especially as it relates to our drinking water. Evidence of harmful chromium-6 levels must be investigated,” said Houston’s Congressman Al Green. He sent a letter to the EPA demanding further investigation and for the agency to accelerate its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment of chromium 6, which it started after EWG and Channel 2 published their reports. The results will be ready for the public later this year. Even without the excess chromium 6, Houston’s tap water is the sixth worst in the nation for overall water quality, according to the EWG. Don’t wait for the EPA, Congress or another Erin Brockovich to protect you and your family from the next Flint. Contact John Moore to install a water filtration system and secure the water quality you deserve. (To avoid cross-contamination, it is highly recommended that a licensed plumber to do the installation.)