More than 97 million United States residents have been exposed to contaminants in their drinking water that are unregulated and could affect their health, a new analysis by Silent Spring Institute has found.
Hispanic and Black communities have a higher likelihood of their water being contaminated by unsafe levels of toxic chemicals, a press release from Silent Spring said. They are also more likely to live close to sources of pollution.
The findings add to increasing concern about U.S. water quality and contamination’s disproportionate impact on communities of color.
Nearly 100 contaminants are regulated under the country’s Safe Drinking Water Act, which means public water utilities are required to test for them, as well as take measures to make sure levels don’t exceed set limits.
“Yet, we know there are thousands of other harmful chemicals that are not regulated that make their way into groundwater and surface waters, and some of these chemicals can …