How Safe Is Our Drinking Water In Southwest Louisiana?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has developed a National Tap Water Database, where you can look up the pollutants found in local drinking water by zip code.
While every major Lake Area water utility is currently in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards, most of our drinking water was found to contain several contaminants at levels above health guidelines.
Water from at least one area utility was found to have levels of Hexavalent Chromium above health guidelines, which was the carcinogen featured in the Erin Brockovich story.
Here's the breakdown for a few of the major Lake Area water utilities. To look up additional water providers, and for a complete breakdown of each detected contaminant, visit the National Tap Water Database and search by zip code.
Contaminants detected above health guidelines:
- Bromodichloromethane (cancer)
- Chloroform (cancer)
- Dibromochloromethane (cancer)
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Manganese (harm to the brain and nervous system)
- Radium-226 and Radium-228 (cancer)
- Trihalomethanes (cancer)
Other detected contaminants:
- Barium
- Bromoform
- Chlorate
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Flouride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Strontium
- Trichloroacetic acid
For the latest quarter assessed by the EPA (January to March 2017), water provided by the City of Lake Charles Water System was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Contaminants detected above health guidelines:
- Bromodichloromethane (cancer)
- Hexavalent Chromium (cancer)
- Dibromochloromethane (cancer)
- Trihalomethanes (cancer)
- Trichloroacetic acid (cancer)
Other detected contaminants:
- Bromoform
- Chlorate
- Chloroform
- Chromium
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Strontium
For the latest quarter assessed by the EPA (January to March 2017), water provided by Calcasieu Parish WW District No 1 was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards. However, it was in violation of federal drinking water standards for 2 quarters from April 2014 to March 2017.
Contaminants detected above health guidelines:
- Bromodichloromethane (cancer)
- Chloroform (cancer)
- Dibromochloromethane (cancer)
- Dichloroacetic acid (cancer)
- Trihalomethanes (cancer)
- Trichloroacetic acid (cancer)
Other detected contaminants:
- Bromoform
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monobromoacetic acid
For the latest quarter assessed by the EPA (January to March 2017), water provided by Calcasieu Parish Water Works District 8 was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Contaminants detected above health guidelines:
- Bromodichloromethane (cancer)
- Chloroform (cancer)
- Dibromochloromethane (cancer)
- Manganese (harm to the brain and nervous system)
- Trihalomethanes (cancer)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other detected contaminants:
- Barium
- Bromoform
- Chlorate
- Chloromethane
- Chromium
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Strontium
For the latest quarter assessed by the EPA (January to March 2017), water provided by Sulphur Water System was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards. However, it was found in violation of federal drinking water standards for 12 quarters, from April 2014 to March 2017.
Additionally, From January 2017 to March 2017, this water utility was in violation of monitoring for contaminant or reporting monitoring tests to state agencies as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Contaminants detected above health guidelines:
- Bromodichloromethane (cancer)
- Chloroform (cancer)
- Dibromochloromethane (cancer)
- Dichloroacetic acid (cancer)
- Trihalomethanes (cancer)
- Trichloroacetic acid (cancer)
Other detected contaminants:
- Bromoform
- Hexavalent Chromium
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Strontium
For the latest quarter assessed by the EPA (January to March 2017), water provided by Calcasieu Parish WW District 9 Carlyss was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards. However, it was in violation of federal drinking water standards for 5 quarters, from April 2014 to March 2017.
[Source: National Tap Water Database]
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