Evanston water ruled safe for drinking

After reports surfaced of high concentrations of a pollutant in Chicago water, Evanston officials have determined it is safe to drink Evanston’s water.

Concern triggered by reports of concentrations of hexavalent chromium, a pollutant, in Chicago’s water last December prompted city officials to test Evanston’s drinking water supply two weeks ago because of the proximity of Evanston’s water supply to Chicago’s and the similar water treatment process Evanston uses, according to a city news release.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement released late last year that it was reviewing its chromium standards after new scientific studies on human capacity to absorb and mitigate effects of Chromium VI were released.

After a round of tests on Evanston drinking water, city officials have determined chromium levels meet standards for safety. Evanston’s water was found with a Chromium VI level of 0.27 ppb, 99.73 percent below the Safe Drinking Water Act standards set by the EPA.

-Grace Johnson