West Virginia officials have issued a “Do Not Drink” advisory for Vienna water after the Environmental Protection Agency announced a new limit for the amount of a chemical present in Wood County’s drinking water.
News outlets report that state officials on May 19 advised Vienna residents not to drink or cook with the city’s water after it was discovered that the levels of the chemical C8 in the city’s water source are slightly above the new limit.
The EPA established the health advisory levels at 70 parts per trillion of C8 in drinking water. C8 has been linked to cancer, thyroid disease and high blood pressure in pregnant women.
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito say they’re concerned for residents following the new drinking water advisory.
“Our first and number one priority is to ensure these residents have safe and clean drinking water,” the senators said in a statement. “We have been in contact with the EPA, state and local officials, and the National Guard, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Commissioner of the state Bureau for Public Health Dr. Rahul Gupta says the Bureau for Public Health is working with Vienna to implement appropriate precautions. He says the bureau will issue “Do Not Drink” advisories until additional testing and evaluation take place.
Parkersburg and Martinsburg also have been affected by the new EPA threshold. Gupta says they’ve also taken steps to address the issue by using additional water sources to provide water.
Topics Virginia Pollution Chemicals West Virginia
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