Environmental Protection Agency audits show that many states are failing to accurately note health violations such as elevated levels of arsenic and chlorine in drinking water, according to a new report .
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reviewed EPA audits of 43 states, including Virginia and Maryland, conducted between 2007 and 2009. In 2009, 84 percent of monitoring violations noted by states were not reported to the EPA. That same year, 26 percent of health violations were not reported or were inaccurately reported, undermining the reliability of data collected by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act as well as its ability to conduct oversight, according to the GAO.
The GAO did not break down the findings by state. It emphasized that drinking water in the United States is among the world’s safest, but “waterborne-disease outbreaks caused by microorganisms do still occur.”
Chlorine and other disinfectants placed in water to reduce microorganisms can cause anemia, as well as eye and nose irritation, the report said. Long-term ingestion of water with those substances can increase the risk of cancer and might attack the nervous system and kidneys, it added.
The report noted that arsenic that occurs naturally and in industrial waste can cause skin damage, circulatory system problems and increase cancer risks. Nitrate in fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and natural erosion can harm infants, cause shortness of breath and contribute to so-called blue baby syndrome.
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