A report from the Environmental Working Group has been released ranking the top 100 (those serving a population over 250,000) water supplies.
According to the Environmental Working Group website, the report based its findings on the "total number of chemicals detected as of 2004; the percentage of chemicals found of those tested; and the highest average level for an individual pollutant, relative to legal limits or national average amounts, including for the most common pollutants (disinfection byproducts, nitrate and arsenic)."
Pensacola, FL, was ranked at the bottom of the list and was found to have the highest amount of pollutants and chemicals. Arlington, TX, was ranked in the top spot and had the least amount.
The report, released on Dec. 12, surprised some, including Jim Neustadt, a spokesman for the Montgomery & Prince George's Counties, MD, which ranked 82nd. In a Dec. 13 Washington Post story, Neustadt said, "We've never had any drinking-water violations," WSSC spokesman Jim Neustadt said. "Our water is perfectly safe to drink."
The Environmental Working Group said the Environmental Protection Agency can be lax with its standards. Jane Houlihan, senior vice president for research at the group, told the Washington Post, "This is water that meets all federal standards, but it still contains residues" of some pollutants.
To read the full Environmental Working Group report, click here.
To read the Washington Post story, click here.
For related information, click here.
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