Dozens of MA Towns Have Drinking Water Toxin Made Famous in 'Erin Brokovich': Study

A new report shows many drinking water supplies in Massachusetts have the cancer-causing toxin chromium 6, which became a household name after Julia Roberts’ 2000 megahit based on the real-life environmentalist Erin Brockovich’s investigation of groundwater in Hinkley, California.

Chromium-6 has been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and liver problems, but most of the measurements in Massachusetts communities fall well short of the levels in Hinkley — about 1.19 parts per billion, with a peak of 3.09 ppb — according to the report from the Environmental Working Group.

Furthermore, none of the towns on the list come close to exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum of 100 parts per billion of total chromium. The highest result in Massachusetts was one water source in Harwich at 20 parts per billion, but retests of that area over the summer showed samples with non-detectable levels of chromium-6, said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection assistant commissioner of water programs Doug Fine.

Outside of Harwich, the highest samples were in Danvers, at 4.4, and Shrewsbury, at 4.1. Harwich was addressed by the MassDEP because it went over of 10 pbb.

The Environmental Working Group identified towns that exceed 0.02 parts per billion in tap water, a level that California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set as a public health goal in 2011. The goal was set after Brockovich was successful in building a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993 that blamed the company for contaminating local water.

Officials in California believe even that level of the contaminant can be harmful and pose a cancer threat — not just for people who drink the water, but also bathe in it or have any contact.

Fine told Patch that Massachusetts goes by the EPA standard, but added the EPA is currently in the process of developing additional risk information for chromium-6, and is considering whether to have updated standards as soon as next year.

Before you run out to buy a water filter, it is important to understand the context. At California's recommended level of chromium-6, "one out of 1 million people is likely to get cancer after drinking that water for 70 years," reports The Verge.

"We would say you can definitely drink your water," said Fine.

The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization focused on human health and the environment, analyzed federal data from nationwide drinking water tests showing that the compound contaminates water supplies for more than 200 million Americans in all 50 states.

"Yet federal regulations are stalled by a chemical industry challenge that could mean no national regulation of a chemical state scientists in California and elsewhere say causes cancer when ingested at even extraordinarily low levels," according to the report.

Here is the list of cities, water commissions and countywide agencies that were tested for chromium 6, and the findings:

(You can also click here for a full map with testing averages and further information)

Barnstable County

Bourne Water District - Population Served: 22,500
Brewster Water Department - Population Served: 35,000
Centerville Osterville Marstons Mills WD - Population Served: 50,000
Chatham Water Department - Population Served: 30,000
Dennis Water District - Population Served: 65,000
Falmouth Water Department - Population Served: 77,500
Harwich Water Department - Population Served: 37,371
Hyannis Water System - Population Served: 35,000
Mashpee Water District - Population Served: 33,847
North Sagamore Water District - Population Served: 4,466
Orleans Water Department - Population Served: 17,670
Provincetown Water Department - Population Served: 22,250
Sandwich Water District - Population Served: 23,000
Upper Cape Regional Water Cooperative - Population Served: 56,250
Yarmouth Water Department - Population Served: 39,635

Berkshire County

North Adams Water Department - Population Served: 13,000
Pittsfield DPU Water Department - Population Served: 44,737

Bristol County

Attleboro Water Department - Population Served: 43,593
Dartmouth Water Division - Population Served: 23,650
Easton Water Division - Population Served: 22,964
Fairhaven Water Department - Population Served: 15,789
Fall River Water Department - Population Served: 94,000
Inima USA - Population Served: 93,810
Mansfield Water Department - Population Served: 23,612
New Bedford Dept. of Public Infrastructure - Population Served: 95,072
North Attleboro Water Department - Population Served: 28,712
Norton Water Department - Population Served: 19,031
Seekonk Water District - Population Served: 13,722
Somerset Water Department - Population Served: 17,237
Swansea Water District - Population Served: 17,358
Taunton Water Department - Population Served: 58,133

Dukes County

Edgartown Water Department - Population Served: 6,993
Oak Bluffs Water District - Population Served: 22,452
Tisbury Waterworks - Population Served: 14,916

Essex County

Amesbury DPW Water Division - Population Served: 16,283
Andover Water Department - Population Served: 33,201
Beverly Water Department - Population Served: 43,316
Danvers Water Department - Population Served: 35,480
Gloucester DPW Water Department - Population Served: 36,741
Haverhill Water Department - Population Served: 56,272
Ipswich DPU Water Department - Population Served: 12,991
Lawrence Waterworks - Population Served: 76,377
Lynn Water & Sewer Commission - Population Served: 90,329
MWRA - Marblehead Water Department - Population Served: 19,114
Methuen Water Department - Population Served: 49,112
Newburyport Water Department - Population Served: 20,335
North Andover Water Department - Population Served: 27,500
Peabody DPW Water Department - Population Served: 51,251
Rowley Water Department - Population Served: 6,064
Salem Water Department - Population Served: 40,407
Salisbury Water Department - Population Served: 20,000
MWRA - Saugus Water Department - Population Served: 24,800
MWRA - Swampscott Water Department - Population Served: 13,787
Topsfield Water Department - Population Served: 5,558

Hampden County

Agawam Water Department - Population Served: 28,772
MWRA - Chicopee Water Department - Population Served: 55,144
East Longmeadow DPW Water Department - Population Served: 15,578
Holyoke Waterworks - Population Served: 40,124
Longmeadow Water Department - Population Served: 14,925
Springfield Water & Sewer Commission - Population Served: 234,105
West Springfield Water Department DPW - Population Served: 28,391
Westfield Water Department - Population Served: 42,000

Hillsborough County

Hudson Water Department - Population Served: 16,100
Manchester Waterworks - Population Served: 133,000
Merrimack Village District - Population Served: 25,000
Pennichuck Waterworks - Population Served: 87,682

Middlesex County

Acton Water Supply District - Population Served: 21,562
MWRA - Arlington Water Department - Population Served: 42,844
Ashland Water & Sewer Department - Population Served: 16,593
Bedford Water Department - Population Served: 14,020
MWRA - Belmont Water Department - Population Served: 24,552
Billerica Water Department - Population Served: 40,243
Burlington Water Department - Population Served: 25,190
Cambridge Water Department - Population Served: 105,162
Chelmsford Water District - Population Served: 27,042
Concord Water Department - Population Served: 16,663
Dracut Water Supply District - Population Served: 24,539
MWRA - Everett Water Department - Population Served: 42,101
MWRA - Framingham Water Department - Population Served: 68,318
Hudson Water Supply - Population Served: 18,553
MWRA - Lexington Water Department - Population Served: 30,355
Lowell Regional Water Utility - Population Served: 106,519
MWRA - Malden DPW Water Department - Population Served: 59,450
Marlborough DPW Water Division - Population Served: 38,000
Maynard DPW Water Division - Population Served: 10,314
MWRA - Medford Water Department - Population Served: 56,173
MWRA - Melrose Water Department - Population Served: 27,690
Natick Water Department - Population Served: 33,006
MWRA - Newton Water Department - Population Served: 89,918
North Reading Water Department - Population Served: 15,200
Reading Water Department - Population Served: 25,571
MWRA - Somerville Water Department - Population Served: 75,754
MWRA - Stoneham Water Department - Population Served: 21,437
Sudbury Water District - Population Served: 18,317
Tewksbury Water Department - Population Served: 30,613
Wakefield Water Department - Population Served: 24,932
MWRA - Waltham Water Department - Population Served: 60,630
MWRA - Watertown Water Department - Population Served: 31,915
Wayland Water Department - Population Served: 13,916
Westford Water Department - Population Served: 16,463
MWRA - Weston Water Department - Population Served: 11,227
Wilmington Water Department - Population Served: 21,906
Winchester Water Department - Population Served: 22,192
Woburn Water Department - Population Served: 38,120

Nantucket County

Wannacomet Water Company - Population Served: 27,703

Norfolk County

Bellingham DPW Water & Sewer Division - Population Served: 14,835
Braintree Water & Sewer Department - Population Served: 33,600
MWRA - Brookline Water & Sewer Division - Population Served: 58,732
Canton Water Department - Population Served: 20,878
Dedham Westwood Water District - Population Served: 38,518
Foxboro Water Department - Population Served: 17,501
Franklin Water Department - Population Served: 33,590
Holbrook Public Works Department - Population Served: 10,791
Medfield Water Department - Population Served: 12,273
Medway Water & Sewer Department - Population Served: 13,025
MWRA - Milton Water Department - Population Served: 27,003
Needham Water Department - Population Served: 31,446
MWRA - Norwood Water Department - Population Served: 29,248
Plainville Water Department - Population Served: 8,600
MWRA - Quicny Water Department - Population Served: 92,271
Randolph Water Department - Population Served: 33,375
Sharon Water Department - Population Served: 17,545
Stoughton Water Department - Population Served: 25,954
Walpole Water Department - Population Served: 22,826
Wellesley Water Department - Population Served: 28,535
Weymouth Water Department - Population Served: 52,357

Plymouth County

Abington/Rockland Joint Waterworks - Population Served: 32,910
Bridgewater Water Department - Population Served: 26,563
Brockton Water Commission - Population Served: 93,810
Duxbury Water Department - Population Served: 15,937
East Bridgewater Water Department - Population Served: 13,794
Hanover Water Department - Population Served: 14,319
Aquarion Water Co. - Hingham/Hull - Population Served: 46,924
Kingston Water Department - Population Served: 12,676
Marshfield Water Department - Population Served: 34,000
Mattapoiset River Valley WD - Population Served: 29,600
Middleborough Water Supply - Population Served: 16,160
Norwell Water Department - Population Served: 11,089
Onset Fire District - Population Served: 5,048
Pembroke Water Division DPW - Population Served: 19,454
Plymouth Water Department - Population Served: 38,248
Scituate Water Division - Population Served: 19,018
Wareham Fire District - Population Served: 20,522
Whitman Water System - Population Served: 14,574

Suffolk County

MWRA - Boston Water & Sewer Commission - Population Served: 617,594
MWRA - Chelsea Water Department - Population Served: 41,577
MWRA - Revere Water Department - Population Served: 51,755
MWRA - Winthrop Water Division - Population Served: 17,497

Worcester County

Cherry Valley & Rochdale Water District - Population Served: 3,332
Clinton Water Department - Population Served: 13,606
Fitchburg DPW Division of Water Supply - Population Served: 39,100
Gardner Water Department - Population Served: 19,065
Grafton Water District - Population Served: 10,703
Holden Water Department - Population Served: 15,871
Leominster Water Division - Population Served: 40,490
Milford Water Company - Population Served: 27,100
Northborough Water Department - Population Served: 11,509
Shrewsbury Water Department - Population Served: 35,608
Southbridge Water Department - Population Served: 17,302
Uxbridge DPW Water Department - Population Served: 10,483
Webster Water Department - Population Served: 16,767
Westborough Water Department - Population Served: 18,272
Worcester DPW Water Supply Division - Population Served: 183,016

Beth Dalby, Patch Staff, contributed to this report