Since December 2016, the City of Paramount has been testing its water supply on a monthly basis, following the discovery of elevated levels of hexavalent chromium in the air. This recurring testing has far exceeded most federal and state standards, which require such testing only once every three years.
The State of California enforces a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for Total Chromium of 50 parts per billion (1 PPB is roughly equivalent to 1 ug/L). “Total Chromium” refers to chromium in all its forms, including hexavalent chromium as well as other non-harmful chromium. In the 2016 Consumer Confidence Report, the City of Paramount reported 0.12 PPB in Total Chromium in the water supply. The average amount of the City’s hexavalent chromium testing is 0.139 ug/l.
Backed by 22 consecutive rounds of testing with low results, the City has made the decision to discontinue its monthly testing. These results indicate that there are no issues with Paramount’s potable drinking water when it comes to MCL standards. In many cases, the City found “non-detect” readings for hexavalent chromium in the water system.
The State Water Board – Drinking Water Division is currently working on Hexavalent Chromium monitoring requirements that are planned to be released in 2019, which will affect all water purveyors in California. The City will resume its testing as soon as the Board establishes the these revised standards and monitoring requirements.
Paramount will continue to regularly test its drinking water as per the State’s requirements, and will continue to include that information in the annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR).
To view the City’s water test results, visit the Hexavalent Chromium Test Results page.
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