EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Strontium-90 is a radioactive pollutant from nuclear fallout and possibly weapons and power production . Potential health impacts associated with Strontium-90 include cancer.

Sources of Strontium-90:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Strontium-90 tests reported by 231 public water suppliers in 11 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 32.1 million people in 73 communities drank water contaminated with Strontium-90. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Strontium-90 remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

32,079,627 People drinking water contaminated with Strontium-90 73 Communities served water contaminated with Strontium-90

Table. Strontium-90 Exposure by State

32.1 million Americans in 8 states were served tap water contaminated with Strontium-90 between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Strontium-90 contamination
	Systems	Population
California	50	25,917,109
Pennsylvania	6	2,435,772
Nevada	6	1,572,388
Tennessee	3	779,220
Indiana	3	528,129
Florida	2	398,857
Utah	1	229,000
Iowa	2	219,152
Total	73	32,079,627

Table. The most polluted communities

32.1 million Americans in 73 communities were served tap water contaminated with Strontium-90 between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Strontium-90 level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	City of Cocoa Water Cocoa, FL	224,368	2 of 3	6.6 pCi/L (0 to 19.7 pCi/L)
2	Newton Water Supply Newton, IA	15,579	1 of 1	1.6 pCi/L (1.6 to 1.6 pCi/L)
3	Helix Water District La Mesa, CA	234,900	3 of 3	1.34 pCi/L (0.34 to 2.18 pCi/L)
4	Knoxville Utilities Board - Whitaker Pla Knoxville, TN	195,474	5 of 5	1.25 pCi/L (0.69 to 2.4 pCi/L)
5	Three Valleys Mwd Claremont, CA	0	1 of 3	1 pCi/L (0 to 3 pCi/L)
6	Jordan Valley Wcd West Jordan, UT	229,000	2 of 12	0.92 pCi/L (0 to 9 pCi/L)
7	Suburban Water Systems - San Jose Covina, CA	132,940	1 of 1	0.8 pCi/L (0.8 to 0.8 pCi/L)
8	Tennessee - American Water Company Chattanooga, TN	171,679	11 of 13	0.79 pCi/L (0 to 1.8 pCi/L)
9	Sid - Gibson Canyon Vacaville, CA	512	3 of 4	0.75 pCi/L (0 to 1.4 pCi/L)
10	Sid - Blue Ridge Oaks Vacaville, CA	82	3 of 4	0.75 pCi/L (0 to 1.4 pCi/L)

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Testing Summary for Strontium-90

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Strontium-90 tests per year. 39,520 water suppliers failed to report any Strontium-90 tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Strontium-90 by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Strontium-90 (1998-2003): 231 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Strontium-90 Violations

Because Strontium-90 is unregulated in tap water, no violations are recorded in EPA's violations database, the Safe Drinking Water Information System. Under the federal tap water law, water suppliers are not required to routinely test for Strontium-90, and any level is legal in tap water.