Court Strikes Down Stricter Chromium-6 Limits In California Drinking Water

VACAVILLE (CBS13) — It's a court ruling about the water coming from your kitchen sink.

"It's a major win for the cities throughout California," Solano County Taxpayers Association spokeswoman Ourania Riddle said.

The group is one that fought strict new California public health regulations limiting the amount of Chromium-6 in water.

The cancer-causing element is naturally occurring in some communities across California, including those in Solano County.

Federal standards allow Chromium 6 in water at a maximum contaminant level 100 parts per billion. California has had stricter standards in place allowing Chromium 6 at 50 parts per billion, up until this new plan limiting the contaminant to just 10 parts per billion.

It's a change a judge has now denied. Court documents show some ratepayers in smaller water systems would have seen water bills go up by $470 a month in districts needing new equipment to reduce Chromium-6 levels, like Dixon.

"And that's why the court said I think they didn't consider the financial impact," Riddle said.

Enforcement of the levels had been set to begin in 2020.

In creating the stricter standards the state's public health department issued a statement in 2014 reading: "Establishing this maximum contaminant level underscores California's commitment to safe drinking water standards to protect the public health."

But a judge ruled its too expensive. For now, those stricter standards are going down the drain.