News Coverage
Toxins in Valley Water
Do You Live In A Hot Spot?
Published May 13, 2008
You drink it and use it for cooking. You bathe in it and breathe in the steam. In some parts of the Valley, you could be putting yourself at risk.
The city of Phoenix is required to test for something called total trihalomethanes, or TTHMs.
They are chemical compounds that are formed when leaves and algae mix with chlorine from the water treatment plant.
Rene Sharp is a Senior Scientist with Environmental Working Group in San Francisco. She points to studies that show how TTHMs are linked to colon cancer, birth defects and other problems for pregnant women.
"The most consistent finding has been an increase in bladder cancer, Sharp said, "and increased incidence of miscarriage after the women were exposed for one trimester of pregnancy."
The EPA set a maximum TTHM level of 80 parts per billion. Our tests showed much higher levels.
We took samples from 10 homes in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
Most of them were from ABC15 employees. We had them analyzed by a local lab for TTHMs. Seven of the 10 homes had levels above the maximum of 80ppb. Some far above like 127, 130 even 145.
In a recent water bill, Phoenix claimed to meet or surpass all federal and state drinking water standards. Scottsdale stated the same thing. That's because the EPA only requires cities to provide running annual averages for the whole water system.
So the ABC15 Investigators took a closer look by obtaining the last three years of water test results.
In Phoenix, the city's own records show almost 200 tests at high levels -- results above the EPA limit.
When we averaged those numbers for the year, we found nearly 40 neighborhoods with what experts say are potentially dangerous readings.
Sharp called the city's test results, "pretty striking," and said regulations are supposed to ensure that people are not exposed.
After being turned down repeatedly for an interview, we caught up with new Phoenix water chief David Modeer.
"I think you're mischaracterizing to say it's consistently high," Modeer said. "There is no health impact on the measurements that have been given in the city."
But the city records show five Phoenix water testing areas with TTHM levels averaging above the maximum for three years in a row.
These areas impact people living around Camelback and Invergordon, 38th Street and Weldon, 51st Avenue and Dobbins, 9600 South Central Avenue, and Marketplace Way and Chandler Blvd.
The ABC15 Investigators asked Modeer if that could be a potential problem for customers. He said, "Only if it was consistently high every day of the year and there was a large amount of water consumed."
But according to Sharp, "You can drink the water, you can have it penetrate through your skin, or you can take a shower and the chemicals will vaporize."
She said some studies show exposure from inhaling chloroform, "is actually greater than ingesting it from drinking water."
Scottsdale gave us results by zip code.
While there were many high level hits, one zip code stood out - 85262.
For the entire three year period, TTHM levels there were over the limit.
In a statement, Scottsdale states it's addressing the issue "by enhancing the water treatment technology... with completion expected this summer." (To read the entire statement, click on the link below)
According to Rene Sharp, "People should be able to know that when they take a shower, when they drink that glass of water, when they give it to their kids, that the water is safe to drink and it is not going to cause any health impacts."
So what can you do to protect yourself? Reverse osmosis systems will not remove TTHMs, but, carbon filters will.
The EPA is changing its regulations. In the next few years, they will require water departments to monitor hot spots.
Click within the map below to see if you live in a high level area.
Phoenix test results that are over the EPA 80ppb limit
The interactive map below contains locations with results that are over the EPA 80 parts per billion (ppb) limit for TTHMs, viewable by three different criteria.
* "Quarterly" displays locations where results were above 80ppb for any single quarter over the past three years.
* "Annual" displays locations where the average for any of the past three years was over 80ppb.
* "All 3 years" displays locations where the average for all of the past three years was over 80ppb.
Click on each label to see its location displayed, and then click on the colored icons to see that location's results. You can also use the drop-down menu to select from the list of addresses for each of the three categories.
