On April 15, 2014, California regulators released a final hexavalent chromium drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb) making this the only government in the U.S. Since state scientists have determined that the level of hexavalent chromium in drinking water that would not lead to significant health impacts is 0.2 ppb, the combined approach is clearly not adequate to protect public health. This standard averages the toxicity of both hexavalent and the less-dangerous trivalent chromium in the water. Chromium occurs in the environment largely in two forms: trivalent chromium (chromium 3), which is an essential human nutrient, and hexavalent chromium (chromium 6), which is toxic.ĭespite this difference, chromium is regulated in drinking water as “total chromium” at a level of 50 parts per billion. While the levels in most other impacted communities are much lower than Hinkley’s, hexavalent chromium was eventually detected in 2475 California drinking water sources, spread throughout 51 out of 58 counties.ĭespite the publicity from the film and the severe health effects associated with hexavalent chromium, the federal government has not regulated this toxic chemical in drinking water. The movie “Erin Brockovich” alerted the public to the great suffering the little town of Hinkley, CA experienced due to the cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium (also known as chromium 6) in its drinking water. Background on Hexavalent Chromium in California

Clean Water Action is working to ensure that the chemical is not only regulated in water, but that the standard is set at an even more protective level than it was previously.

T hanks to influence by both industrial polluters and a few water agencies, this standard to protect the public from a potent carcinogen was first delayed and then overturned. This year the California State Water Quality Control Board is expected to establish a new drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium.