West Virginia Water Declared Safe...Sort of...Maybe...as the 60-mile Chemical Plume Heads to OhioDaisy Luther Local authorities report that the water is now safe in some areas, partially lifting the ban, with the careful wording that the current levels of chemicals in the water are believed to be safe. Local stores ran out of water very quickly after the spill occurred, and those without stored water were left to fight it out over the few remaining bottleswithin a day of the accident. But is it really safe? Opinions seem divided. Based on the water sampling data that we have seen, we think that allowing the water to be used for drinking and cooking and all the other things is perfectly appropriate, said Dr. Vikas Kapil, chief medical officer for the CDCs National Center for Environmental Health. The 1 part per million guideline, he told reporters Thursday, is a level not likely to be associated with adverse health effects. But during situations like this, he admitted, there are often questions investigators cant answer at least not at first. Scott Simonton, vice chairman of the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board, said he isnt so sure the water is safe. I dont think that just because its below that number, its magically safe, said Simonton, a professor of environmental science at Marshall University. We dont know enough about the toxicity of this particular chemical to know what its long-term effects are and what the maximum contaminant level really should be. (source) This, of course, begs the question: Is it really that safe if pregnant women shouldnt drink it? What about toddlers and small children? What about those with a lowered immune response? Local hospitals have reported a spike of people visiting the emergency room after the ban was lifted, most of whom were suffering from what one hospital official called scary-looking rashes after having a shower in the sort of safe water. The story doesnt end here, because now, residents of other states could be in trouble. The chemical, which is used in coal-processing, spilled into the Elk River. The Elk feeds into the Ohio River and a chemical plume that is 60 miles long is making its way west. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, a multistate agency based in Cincinnati that coordinates with states along the river to control, limit and monitor pollution, has been on high alert since the spill and is coordinating with state agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard to keep testing water quality, Mr. Schulte said. Scientists at the Louisville Water Company do not think the chemical will be any kind of health risk when it reaches the area, sometime Friday morning,said company spokeswoman Kelley Dearing-Smith. (source) Even without accidental spills, the municipal water supply contains many chemicals, some lurking by accident andsome added deliberately. The lack of definitive statements of safety from authorities just underlines the fact that drinking what comes out of your faucet is sometimes akin to playing Russian roulette. 