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2/20/2025
WT Staff
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February 20, 2025 118 pm EST
Increased risk of cancer linked to regulated contaminant in drinking water
Scanning the posts on Reddit/water for the trending topics of the day, we see an article from Senior Health Reporter Cassidy Morrison at The Daily Mail drawing attention to a common contaminant in US municipal drinking water.
Morrison dives into a meta-analysis by Emilie Helte et al in Sweden's Karolinska Institute recently published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The "study of studies" from around the globe points to an increase in cancer linked to disinfection by-products in drinking water. The conclusion is disturbing. Cancer is indeed linked to this common contaminant in drinking water, at much lower rates than US national drinking water standards allow.
By-products of disinfection are chemicals formed when chlorine or chloramine used as disinfectants in the water treatment process react with organic material in the raw source water. The by-product chemicals regulated in the USA are trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA). Total THM and five HAA chemicals have been regulated by US EPA through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) since 1979, with maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) that all licensed drinking water facilities are liable to achieve. The allowed level of TTHM is 80 ppb, HAA5 maximum is 60 ppb. When finished drinking water tests above MCL, the facilities are required to report the violation to the public. Compliance records for all licensed public drinking water facilities are accessible to the public, showing laboratory verified levels of each regulated contaminant. Facilities with violations in the prior three years are considered EPA Enforcement Priorities.
See the latest WTGA.us Serious Violator List, here.
How prevalent is the issue of disinfection by-products contaminating drinking water?
Taking a recent example from Ohio, seven drinking water facilities are listed with active Sensitive Populations Advisories related to disinfection by-products. One of these, the Village of Lagrange. According to Ohio EPA, the three-month running average Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2024 HAA5 level measured 91 ppb where the US EPA SDWA maximum level is 60 ppb. The Lagrange Sensitive Persons Advisory carries the following guidance and warning:
"You do not need to use an alternative (e.g. bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor. Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer."
More to follow as we look into Georgia drinking water facilities for TTHM and HAA5 levels.
The Safe Drinking Water Act protects public health through the administration and delivery of quality drinking water supplies across the USA. The US EPA establishes standards for drinking water, monitors and enforces treatment techniques for surface water and groundwater, sets maximum limits for around 100 contaminants ensuring public disclosure of deviations and discrepancies.
WaterToday opens the record books of the federal drinking water regulator to bring awareness to the local raw water supply and the compliance record of licensed water treatment facilities. The Georgia Department of Environmental Protection inspects 2,376 licensed and active public drinking water facilities, reporting to the EPA. Check back here for drinking water news and alerts as they arise.
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