Tapping Alternatives to the Tap

Concern over chromium 6 contamination in drinking water is helping spark consumer interest in bottled water and home filtration systems, according to company officials and others, even though public health authorities insist tap water is safe.

Salespeople hawking filtration systems are a common sight at public meetings where chromium 6 is discussed, and the city of Burbank has put out fact sheets for residents on treatment systems and bottled water.

The Yosemite Water Co. says it has added a distribution route in the San Fernando Valley because of new demand, bringing its total to 35 routes. And companies that sell home filtration and treatment systems say they are getting more inquiries, though not necessarily more sales.

“There is definitely more awareness out there,” said Dean Thompson, general manger of Culligan Water Conditioning in Sun Valley, who said he gets about five calls a day from people wanting to know which system will reduce chromium 6.

Gina Solomon, a drinking water specialist with the National Resources Defense Council in San Francisco, said she has received several calls from friends in the Los Angeles area asking what they can do to ensure safe water.

Much of the interest is focused on the East Valley, where decades of heavy industrial activity has resulted in chromium 6 contamination of well water. Chromium 6, a toxic byproduct of chromium used in metal plating and other processes, is considered a carcinogen when inhaled. Scientists, however, are still debating its effects when consumed in tap water.

Still, the state is considering tough new standards to limit chromium 6, and some of the water now pumped to homes may exceed future standards. Consumers who don’t trust their tap water have basically two options--installing a filtration system, or buying bottled water.

Filtration Systems

Laura and Jeff Snow of Burbank are among those who chose a filtration system.

While the state Department of Health Services insists tap water is safe, the agency also is considering imposing, for the first time, a standard for chromium 6. It also is looking at toughening the current standard for total chromium to ensure optimum public safety.

The Snows don’t want to take a chance that the water they are drinking now may later be found to be unsafe. They spent $1,245 for a water system last month.

“We got spooked,” Laura Snow said.

Before buying a water-filtration system, Erik Olson, a drinking-water specialist for the resources defense council in Washington, advises consumers to know what contaminants they want removed from their water supplies and make sure their system is certified to remove those contaminants.

Reverse osmosis, the most common household treatment process, can reduce chromium 6 to less than 1 part per billion, said Dr. David Spath, drinking water chief for the state Department of Health Services.

With reverse osmosis, tap water is pushed through a membrane filter at high pressure so that most of the minerals are removed. The effectiveness depends on the filter quality and condition, experts say, and on how dirty the water has become.

Spath said the state has certified 75 reverse-osmosis systems for their ability to remove chromium 6. Dealers say these systems range in price from $200 to more than $1,000.

Distillation also can be used to remove chromium 6, according to NSF International, a nonprofit group (formerly National Sanitation Foundation) that certifies drinking-water treatment products.

Distillation involves turning the water into steam--essentially removing all contaminants. But these systems are not popular for home use, according to water treatment companies, because the process takes out the minerals that give water its taste.

Inexpensive carbon filter systems, including the type sold with filtered water pitchers, do not treat chromium 6, experts warn.

Bottled Water

Solomon of the resources defense council does not recommend bottled water, citing a recent study stating tap water standards are often higher than those regulating the bottled water industry.

Bottled water delivered in California, for instance, is only required to meet a federal bottled water standard of 100 parts per billion of total chromium, not the tougher state standard of 50 parts per billion of total chromium for drinking water.

(That will change Jan. 1, when the state will require all bottled water to meet tap water standards.)

The state Department of Health Services conducted a survey of bottled water and found “non-detectable” total chromium levels in all but eight of the 164 bottled water products sold in California.

The highest level was found in Acqua e Terme di Uliveto, an imported Italian water, which reported 5 parts per billion of total chromium.

That meets the current standard, but would exceed the 2.5 parts per billion of total chromium recommended last year as a public health goal by the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. That recommendation is under study by the state Department of Health Services.

Tap Water and Other Sources

Chromium and chromium 6 levels in tap water vary widely. A study by Los Angeles County found levels of chromium 6 as high as 8 parts per billion in some public buildings. The optimum level for public health for chromium 6, according to the environmental health hazard assessment office, would be 0.2 parts per billion.

Filtered water sold at vending machines and through water stores is essentially treated tap water. It meets the same standards as bottled water.

John Lee, general manager of the 21 Wateria stores in Los Angeles, said the company has begun testing its filtered drinking water for chromium 6, and expects to use the test results to attract customers. The company has not yet received the results, he said.

At Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems in Chatsworth, Will Endara, in charge of Hispanic customer development, is disappointed he doesn’t have a product to sell specifically for chromium 6 contamination.

“I wish we were certified for chromium,” he said, “because we’d be doing great business.”

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Ways to Reduce Chromium 6 in Drinking Water

State health officials say two kinds of water filtration systems reduce chromium 6 in tap water: reverse osmosis and distillation.

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HOME FILTERING SYSTEMS

Reverse osmosis: These systems use a membrane to filter out impurities. Effectiveness varies, but some systems can reduce chromium 6 to below 1 part per billion.

Distillation: These systems remove all chromium 6 and other impurities by boiling the water and collecting the distilled vapor. Because minerals are removed, taste suffers and these systems are not widely popular.

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WHAT DOESN’T WORK

Charcoal filtering: These systems are used in a range of products, from under-the-sink units to filtered water pitchers. They remove many contaminants, but not chromium 6.

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BOTTLED WATER

State health officials regulate all bottled water sold in California and water vending machines. Both sources must meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards of 100 parts per billion for total chromium. State officials, however, will tighten the standard to 50 parts per billion, beginning Jan. 1.

Source: State Department of Health Services, NSF International (formerly National Sanitation Foundation).