The City of San Angelo's water system had 2 out of 8 water samples test positive for hexavalent chromium, the chemical in drinking water that harmed people in Hinkly, California. The movie Erin Brokovich turned hexavalent chromium into a frightening household word.
San Angelo's two positive samples came in at .035 and .038 parts per billion (ppb). Although they sound like minuscule amounts the California public health target level is .02 ppb. The two samples with hexavalent chromium came in at 75 to 90% higher than this goal.
One other county in our area had five out of eight water samples test positive for hexavalent chromium, Menard County. The city of Menard's average of .0238 ppb exceeded the .02 public health goal.
The city draws water from Lake Ivie, the Concho River and the Hickory Aquifer. When the City of San Angelo developed the Hickory Wellfield radioactive radium was the primary concern. It's not clear the source of hexavalent chromium in the two San Angelo water samples, but that would be interesting to know.
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