Perchlorate, an oxidant used in fireworks and road flares and as an accelerant in rocket fuel, has been found hiding out in the town of Rialto, a small town in Southern California. Where does it reside? It seems this chemical has befouled nearly half the town's drinking water supply.

But Rialto is just one of many communities faced with this problem; officials in 36 states where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has detected perchlorate are trying to determine when to close wells, whom to sue and how to not get sued.

For Rialto, the problem stems from a 2,800-acre tract of land north of downtown that once housed World War II munitions, Cold War weapons-makers, and now, fireworks warehouses and a dump. City fathers suspect each occupant of the tract contributed to what's become a 7-mile stretch of perchlorate 400 feet below the ground that's polluting the town's aquifer as well as groundwater from neighboring areas.

Massive Repercussions

In all, six of the town's 13 water wells have tested positive for perchlorate. The projected cleanup costs are more than double Rialto's annual city budget of $40 million. As a result, the city has:

• Sued dozens of suspected contributors to the contamination, including the Defense Department.
• Raised local water rates by 65 percent.
• Begged local residents to conserve water.

Meanwhile, both officials and townspeople want to know the degree of harm perchlorate bestows: For starters, if exposed to high amounts, the chemical can interrupt the production of thyroid hormones, which are needed for pre- and postnatal development. The EPA set a safety limit for perchlorate exposure level to 24.5 parts per billion (ppb) (in drinking water), and with Rialto's detections ranging as high as 88 ppb, Rialto's officials decided to shut down any well where perchlorate was found.

And, because standard filtering doesn't work on perchlorate, the town has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment that uses a resin to get rid of it. However, town officials believe the only long-term solution is forcing polluters to fund a cleanup.

Wired News April 23, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

First it was lettuce, then it was milk and now it is your water supply. Previously, I wrote about the growing incidence of perchlorate in an unusual place: Breast milk. Ever wonder what would happen if or when your town found an unusual amount of such a toxic chemical in its drinking water? The answer to that question is what drew me to this thoughtful and very scary piece about the town of Rialto, a small town in Southern California just north of Riverside. Standard filtering doesn't work on perchlorate, and, typically, hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment that uses a resin are required to get rid of it. Despite this town's unusually responsible step of treating its drinking water for perchlorate contamination, let me point out it's a rarity that this necessary step occurs. Especially since the EPA bumped up the "safe limit" of perchlorate exponentially from 1 ppb (parts per billion) to 24.5 ppb! Because water is so crucial to your optimal health, one of the most important steps you can take for the sake of you and your family is to take responsibility to ensure the safety of your tap water supply. Nearly all commercial water supplies are seriously contaminated. Since it does not seem as though the EPA is on your side, it is becoming increasingly important that you take the initiative in the fight to keep your water clean. Drinking bottled water might only sidestep the problem, because some bottled water is actually no cleaner than tap water. Additionally, all that plastic is a serious strain on the environment. Related Articles: Is Your Water Filter Really Working? America's Water Resources are Under Attack!