The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has called for rigorous water protection and treatment programs to keep the herbicide atrazine away from public water supplies.
"AWWAs primary goal is to protect public health and source water protection is a cornerstone in those efforts. AWWA supports initiatives to protect our source water from atrazine," said Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director for AWWA. "With full funding of drinking water research, additional science would allow the EPA to work with public health stakeholders to determine health effects and set appropriate atrazine levels or ban its use."
Atrazine is widely used by corn and sorghum farmers and is listed by EPA as a possible carcinogen. The U.S. Geological Survey has found that some Midwestern rivers have had atrazine contamination levels above acceptable limits during some months of the year. A report issued by the Environmental Working Group criticized the EPAs regulation of the herbicide and called for a ban on its use.
The report also commended utilities for their important contributions in identifying the presence of atrazine in their source water and taking steps to reduce levels in the treatment process. "The job of water utilities is to provide Americans with safe drinking water, and they have worked hard to get that job done," said Hoffbuhr.
AWWA estimates that utilities spend up to $30 million annually to protect consumer health by adding treatment processes such as activated carbon and reverse osmosis to remove atrazine. However, the long-term solution in ensuring a safe supply of water is to prevent contamination in the first place.
Atrazine is estimated to have been the most heavily used herbicide in the late 1980s with most extensive use in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. Atrazine is linked to a number of health risks, including congestion of the heart, lungs, and kidneys, and muscle spasms. A lifetime exposure to high levels of atrazine has been linked to cardiovascular damage, tumors, and possibly cancer.
