Residents on alert after discovering 'Erin Brockovich chemical' in drinking water: 'Especially dangerous for children'

Tap water across Santa Cruz County, California, has been flagged for containing chromium-6, a cancer-linked heavy metal sometimes called the "Erin Brockovich chemical," according to the Santa Cruz Local.

What's happening?

No other state had a drinking water cap on chromium-6 before California enacted one in October 2024, capping the contaminant at 10 parts per billion (ppb). Since then, upward of 20 wells across the county have tested above that ceiling, with some readings close to 40 ppb.

Several schools sit in the affected zones, including Valencia Elementary, Aptos High School, and Aptos Junior High.

One parent, Ginger Hollinga, found out about the issue at her daughter's school and now packs water she filters at home for her kid each morning. Hollinga worried it could be "especially dangerous for children." Researchers have not yet looked at how the chemical affects kids compared to adults.

Water officials say the contamination stems from the area's geology rather than any industrial pollution.

Why is contaminated drinking water concerning?

At 10 ppb, California water officials estimate that consuming the water daily for an entire lifetime carries a roughly 1-in-2,000 chance of developing cancer. The state's own aspirational health target is much lower, just 0.02 ppb, the level considered effectively risk-free.

The new rules aim to limit prolonged contact with the contaminant, not address any immediate health threat. For parents with kids in affected schools, the gap between "acceptable for now" and "zero risk" can feel uncomfortable.

You can't smell or taste chromium-6, so you'd never know it was in your water without testing. Private wells in the state face no testing mandate at all, leaving some households unaware of their water quality.

What's being done about contaminated drinking water?

Larger districts like Soquel Creek and the City of Watsonville are installing filtration infrastructure to turn the contaminant into a less harmful form and strip it out. Soquel Creek expects its setup to be running by late 2027, and Watsonville is targeting 2030 with a roughly $25 million price tag.

"It's difficult to get this message out without causing concern or alarm," said Beau Kayser, water division manager for the City of Watsonville, who added that he still drinks his own tap water unfiltered.

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Central Water District and other smaller systems face a 2028 deadline, and leaders there expect a new well to be online by year's end.

If you live in one of these areas, a reverse osmosis filter at your sink can get rid of chromium-6. Keep in mind that bottled water follows a looser federal standard of 100 ppb for total chromium, so a store-bought bottle isn't guaranteed to be cleaner than what's coming from your faucet.

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