The Water Research Foundation, an offshoot of the American Water Works Association of water utilities, has accused Environmental Working Group of informing utility customers about the presence of chromium-6, a suspected carcinogen, in their tap water. "Reckless and irresponsible," the foundation claims.

Tap water industry representatives made no mention of their chromium-6 2004 study when they testified alongside EWG at a Feb. 2 Senate environment committee hearing on chromium-6 pollution.

Some water utility representatives have protested Environmental Working Group’s report of laboratory tests that found worrisome levels of chromium-6, a suspected carcinogen, in the drinking water of 31 cities across the country. Yet the tap water industry was worried enough about the contaminant to conduct its own extensive survey in 2004 that found clear evidence of widespread chromium-6 pollution in untreated source water. The survey, conducted by the Awwa Research Foundation (since renamed the Water Research Foundation), an offshoot of the American Water Works Association, obtained data on 341 source water samples from 189 utilities in 41 states. The conclusion: chromium-6 is common in American groundwater.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a nationwide plan to require water utilities to test drinking water for 28 contaminants currently unregulated by federal law, including six perfluorinated chemicals, a family of toxic industrial chemicals found widely in consumer products.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed that public water systems cut back on the amount of fluoride they add to drinking water.

EWG comments on the Department of Health and Human Services proposal to reduce the maximum reccomended concentration of fluoride in drinking water.

Testing by four municipal drinking water suppliers has confirmed the results of a study by the Environmental Working Group that detected widespread contamination by chromium-6, a suspected toxic carcinogen.

Perchlorate, a common ingredient in rocket fuel and a potent thyroid toxin, will finally be regulated in drinking water, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced today.

You're at the airport. You remembered your refillable water bottle and got it through security by draining its contents in the security line (can't take 'em through full).