You may have missed this news story if you don’t live in the Southwest, but there is a major toxic spill occurring in the Animus River. EPA workers caused an old mine to blow out, spilling three million gallons of contaminated wastewater into the river. The ecological damage is spreading out over multiple states and river systems. It is still leaking contaminated water into the river.
The water is heavily contaminated with heavy metals, notably lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The lead levels in the river have risen to 5,720 parts per billion. The legal EPA limit for lead in water is 50 parts per billion. States of emergency have been declared in several states, and the EPA is shipping in bottled water to deal with the crisis. Thick sludge is also building up on the river banks as the yellow plume travels downstream.
It is a major ecological disaster, and more could be in the making. There are many abandoned mines that need cleanup along the river. The EPA has discouraged groups from cleaning up the mines because of the danger of highly-contaminated water. Now the EPA has cause just such a blowout.
Could your filtration systems handle such heavy contamination? The EPA may require you to shut down, but having a strong filtration system could get your water system back online faster. Contact Metro Water Filter for more information on how we can help you filter heavy metals out of your water.