California Implements Hexavalent Chromium Standards for Drinking Water

The state of California and the California Department of Public Health informed the public in June 2014 that it would be establishing a new and nation-wide first in regulations for hexavalent chromium also known as chromium-6. These regulations would be taking effect in July and would limit the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water to just 10 parts per billion (ppb) to become a drinking water standard. Because this form of the element is known to have extremely damaging health effects such as kidney and liver damage and it is also a known carcinogen, California has decided to be proactive in regulating the amounts that the public ingests in its water.

While hexavalent chromium occurs in small amounts in nature, it is more commonly a byproduct of industrial work for jobs like welding. OSHA requires specific precautions to protect workers from this form of chromium through protective gear and hexavalent chromium analysis. However, no precautions or regulations specific to chromium-6 existed for public drinking water. Testing for chromium in drinking water was previously regulated at 50 parts per billion (ppb) in California, but this testing included both chromium-6 and chromium-3. Chromium-3 in small amounts is actually healthy and necessary, as part of the nutrients humans should be ingesting. Even in larger amounts it is less toxic than chromium-6. The downside of this kind of testing was that more chromium-6 could be getting into the water than was really healthy because the levels of chromium-6 versus chromium-3 were unknown. The federal regulation for total chromium levels of both chromium-6 and chromium-3 is 100 parts per billion (ppb). Chromium-6 contamination has already occurred in other states, resulting in well closures to prevent continued ingestion.

Hexavalent chromium analysis specifically, will be a vital part of the new regulations to hold California State drinking water to these standards as well as consistent monitoring of drinking water samples from across the state. Due to costs and the need to continuously re-evaluate health regulations for a public water source, the Drinking Water Program will be looking at the regulation level every five years.

California has been the first state in the nation on two occasions to implement such specific and restrictive laws regulating the amount and testing regarding chromium-6. Hexavalent chromium analysis of drinking water will likely become more and more widespread to other states in the nation due to the advanced and important regulations California has implemented. The severe risk to public health related to high levels of chromium-6 means state governments will begin feeling the pressure to switch to chromium-6 specific testing. California has paved the way for better drinking water standards for all states.