Cancer-Causing Contaminants Fill Out North Hills Water, Study Shows

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA - Carcinogens and contaminants were found in the system of township and West View water supplier West View Water Authority, a study released Wednesday revealed. The study by the independent nonprofit organization the Environmental Working Group did not indicate the company violated Environmental Protection Agency regulations or standards.

But what’s legal isn’t necessarily safe when it comes to most any water system’s supply, according to Nneka Leiba, director of Healthy Living Science at the EWG. “There are chemicals that have been linked to cancer, for example, that are found above health-based limits, or health guidelines, in the water of more than 250 million Americans,” Leiba said.

EWG, in conjunction with outside scientists, assessed health-based guidelines for hundreds of chemicals found in our water across the country and compared them to the legal limits. The law often permits
utilities to allow these dangerous chemicals to pollute our waters.

Responding to EWG's findings, West View Water Authority Executive Director Robert Christian said, "There are trace amounts of many natural-occurring elements throughout the environment, including in the air and water. EPA sets maximum contaminant levels based on health risk. West View Water Authority complies with all drinking water quality standards and sampling requirements. We encourage you to verify this with experts from the scientific and regulatory arenas."

Christian added that the authority is transparent with its customers about the authority's water quality and will continue to be so.

EWG found that there were seven carcinogens and 12 other contaminants detected in 2015 for which annual utility averages exceeded an EWG-selected health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority; or chemicals detected under the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program in 2013 to 2015, for which annual utility averages exceeded a health guideline established by a federal or state public health authority.

The carcinogens:

• Bromodichloromethane (linked to harm to child and fetuses, as well as reproductive difficulties. The Department of Health and Human Services has determined that bromodichloromethane is reasonably an­ticipated to be a human carcinogen)

• Chloroform (linked to cancer and fetal development issues)

• Chromium (linked to cancer, liver damage and productive system damages)

• Dibromochloromethane (linked to cancer and harm to fetuses)

• Total trihalomethanes (linked to bladder cancer, skin cancer and fetal development issues)

• Dichloroactic acid (linked to cancer risk and pregnancy issues)

• Trichloracetic acid (linked to cancer risk and pregnancy issues)

The contaminants included Bromochloromethane, Bromform, Chlorate, Chromium, Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Dibromoacetic acids, Fluoride, Haloacetic acids, Molybdenum, Nitrate, Nitrite and Strontium.

West View Water Authority is located in West View and supplies water to 32 municipalities and over 200,000 people in portions of Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties of Pennsylvania.

Reporting by Cody Fenwick/Patch national staff.

Photo: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency.