That law requires communities to deliver safe tap water to local residents. But since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage.

Regulators were informed of each of those violations as they occurred. But regulatory records show that fewer than 6 percent of the water systems that broke the law were ever fined or punished by state or federal officials, including those at the Environmental Protection Agency, which has ultimate responsibility for enforcing standards.

Studies indicate that drinking water contaminants are linked to millions of instances of illness within the United States each year.

In some instances, drinking water violations were one-time events, and probably posed little risk. But for hundreds of other systems, illegal contamination persisted for years, records show.

The New York Times has compiled and analyzed millions of records from water systems and regulators around the nation, as part of a series of articles about worsening pollution in American waters, and regulators’ response.

An analysis of E.P.A. data shows that Safe Drinking Water Act violations have occurred in parts of every state.

In the prosperous town of Ramsey, N.J., for instance, drinking water tests since 2004 have detected illegal concentrations of arsenic, a carcinogen, and the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene, which has also been linked to cancer.

In New York state, 205 water systems have broken the law by delivering tap water that contained illegal amounts of bacteria since 2004.

However, almost none of those systems were ever punished. Ramsey was not fined for its water violations, for example, though a Ramsey official said that filtration systems have been installed since then. In New York, only three water systems were penalized for bacteria violations, according to federal data.

It is unclear precisely how many American illnesses are linked to contaminated drinking water. Many of the most dangerous contaminants regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act have been tied to diseases like cancer that can take years to develop.

Scientific research indicates that as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to just the parasites, viruses and bacteria in drinking water. Certain types of cancer — such as breast and prostate cancer — have risen over the past 30 years, and research indicates they are likely tied to pollutants like those found in drinking water.

The violations counted by the Times analysis include only situations where residents were exposed to dangerous contaminants, and exclude violations that involved paperwork or other minor problems.

The E.P.A. has reported that more than three million Americans have been exposed since 2005 to drinking water with illegal concentrations of arsenic and radioactive elements, both of which have been linked to cancer at small doses.

In some areas, the amount of radium detected in drinking water was 2,000% higher than the legal limit, according to E.P.A. data.

But federal regulators fined or punished fewer than 8 percent of water systems that violated the arsenic and radioactive standards. The E.P.A., in a statement, said that in a majority of situations, state regulators used informal methods — like providing technical assistance — to help systems that had violated the rules.

Many systems remained out of compliance, even after aid was offered, according to E.P.A. data. And for over a quarter of systems that violated the arsenic or radioactivity standards, there is no record that they were ever contacted by a regulator, even after they sent in paperwork revealing their violations.

Those figures are particularly worrisome, say researchers, because the Safe Drinking Water Act’s limits on arsenic are so weak to begin with.

A system could deliver tap water that puts residents at a 1-in-600 risk of developing bladder cancer from arsenic, and still comply with the law.

We will be sure to follow this story as it continues to develop. There have been 100′s of similar stories over the last decade – a sign that the general public is becoming more concerned about water quality.

Information like this makes a comprehensive water treatment system like the Pureoflow an easy choice when it comes to “piece of mind”. No matter what you start with, the right treatment system can deliver safe, clean drinking water.

The EPA and other stakeholders looked at 7,500 substances before coming up with the final list of 116 contaminants. After the EPA drew up a preliminary list, it added 10 pharmaceuticals, 1 antibiotic and 9 hormones, 2 disinfection byproducts, 5 microbes and firefighting foam.  The full CCL 3 list of contaminants can be found at this EPA Web site: www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl

Many of these substances that appeared on CCL 1 in 1998 have been “rolled over” into CCL 2 and now CCL 3 — an indication that they’re still considered potentially harmful. Examples of some that appear on the new CCL 3 and were also on prior lists are adenoviruses (viruses that can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses), acetochlor (a weed-control herbicide), vanadium (a natural element), and cyanotoxins (produced by blue-green algae).

The Water Quality Association (WQA) recently proposed that removal/reduction of the following 17 substances, some of which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or personal care products, could be priorities for developing new NSF/ANSI performance standards for drinking water treatment units. None of these are now regulated:

Atenolol: Beta blocker (heart) medication

Bisphenol A (BPA): Ingredient in plastic/EDC

Carbamazepine: Anti-seizure medication

DEET: Insecticide

Diazinon: Insecticide/EDC

Estrone: Steroid (estrogen hormone)

Ibuprofin: Pain medication

Linuron: Herbicide/EDC

Meprobamate: Anti-anxiety medication

Metolachlor: Pesticide

Naproxen: Pain medication

Nonyl phenol: Surfactant (cleaning compound)/EDC

Phenytoin: Anti-convulsant medication

Risperidone: Schizophrenia treatment

TCEP: Flame retardant

TCPP: Flame retardant

Trimethoprim: Antibiotic

Future Role of the Water Treatment Industry
The water treatment industry “can offer the most advanced technologies available for dealing with endocrine-disrupting, pharmaceutical and personal care product residues in drinking water,” says Joe Harrison, technical director of the Water Quality Association (WQA). “We welcome the EPA benchmarks to guide our product development and performances in this new emerging area.”

Harrison says there’s no single POU/POE technology that can address all emerging contaminants. He says, “It appears that reverse osmosis (RO), activated carbon blocks, and advanced oxidation, such as is achieved by combining in various degrees hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet light and/or ozone … may show effectiveness in treating many of these.”

Premier Water Technology has been dealing with problem water applications since 1978.  As water quality continues to change, we are prepared to face the new challenges that lie ahead.  We have a proven track record with known contaminants like Arsenic and Coliform Bacteria.  It’s strange to think we will someday offer water treatment solutions for anxiety medications, hormones, and flame retardants.

The New York Times has compiled a dabase with data on more than 200,000 facilities that have permits to discharge pollutants and collected responses from states regarding compliance. The information in this database comes from the Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control Board.

Click here to see where Minnesota pollution comes from.