Trace of Asbestos Found in Water
A study of El Segundo’s drinking water has turned up evidence of asbestos, but the cancer-causing substance was found in concentrations well within federal health guidelines.
The highest asbestos concentration in the 18 tap water samples collected in the citywide study was 1/20 of the maximum level considered safe by the federal government, said Robert Gils, the study’s author.
The concentrations were also well below the average levels found in a 1980 federal survey of water-borne asbestos in 406 cities, said Gils, an Oakland-area consultant.
City Manager Ron Cano said the asbestos in El Segundo’s water comes from water pipes made with a type of concrete containing the material. He said the relatively low levels of asbestos in city water supplies do not warrant launching a special program to replace the pipes.
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Cano said. “I think it would be an overreaction.”
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