Erin Brockovich's advocacy group has scored a major victory: California regulators have voted to limit the heavy metal chromium in the state's drinking water, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously to set a limit of 10 parts per billion for hexavalent chromium, about 10 drops of water in a swimming pool.
The new limit is the first in the nation to specifically target the metal, which is used in everything from stainless steel to leather tanning and is believed to cause lung cancer and kidney disease.
Health advocates say California's current limit of 0.02 parts per billion doesn't go far enough.
"This really leaves a lot of California communities unprotected from that really potent carcinogen," says a scientist with the Environmental Working Group.
Some public water providers say the new limit will cost them up to $172.6 million a year to monitor and treat water above the limit, reports CNN.
Others say the new limit will drive up bills.
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