News About Hexavalent Chromium (i.e., Chromium-6)

On January 11th, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a press release and guidance for enhanced monitoring of hexavalent chromium (i.e., chromium-6) in drinking water.  The enhanced monitoring guidance provides recommendations on where drinking water systems should collect samples, how often they should be collected, and what analytical methods should be utilized for laboratory testing.  These EPA recommendations are in response to the emerging scientific evidence that hexavalent chromium could pose potential health concerns if consumed over long periods of time.  For more information, please see the following resources:

• Oregon Health Authority's Hexavalent Chromium Health Effects Fact Sheet (PDF)
• EPA Press Release on Jan. 11th, 2011
• EPA Consumer Information on Chromium
• EPA Recommendations for Enhanced Monitoring

Water System Operator Certification

• Small Water System Class Schedule

Pipeline

• Summer 2011 Pipeline - The newest issue of the Drinking Water Program's quarterly newsletter.

New Drinking Water Rules

The links below provide information, summaries, and resources related to new drinking water rules:

• Groundwater Rule
• Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts