More and more Americans are becoming concerned about the toxicity of water due to possible contaminants, including the risk of asbestos in water.

The concern over water contaminants has been an issue at the forefront of the public mind for a while due to the story of Flint, Michigan’s dangerously toxic water supply.

Flint has not been the only community affected by water toxicity in recent months. Just late last year, in fact, a South Texas town’s community leaders issued warnings to its residents about the potential for problems due to asbestos in water.

According to the community leaders of Devine, there had bene a concerning, high level of asbestos in the water supply for the city’s water supply for nearly a year.

Indeed, while the maximum amount of asbestos in water is 7 million fibers per liter (MFL). However, according to the Mayor of Devine, water samples of Devine’s water supply were showing a much higher level of asbestos in water.

The samples, taken in January, April, and July of 2016 showed levels of asbestos in water at 14 MFL, 17 MFL, and 18 MFL. Each of these samples is over twice as high as the acceptable limit.

When there was a dangerous water problem in another Texas town, Corpus Christi, residents were instructed to boil their water due to dangerous levels of contamination in the water.

Devine’s Mayor, Bill Herring, reported that the town’s officials had not been instructed to boil or shut off the water by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), despite the elevated levels of asbestos in water.

Given such lack of instruction, the mayor considered the elevated asbestos in water issue to not actually present a dangerous to the town’s residents.

Asbestos in water can accumulate in a few ways. One of the main problems is that some water pipes were made with asbestos, and over time, these pipes have deteriorated, allowing asbestos in water to build up.

The EPA also cites erosion of natural asbestos deposits, and other risks include industrial waste, pollution from the atmosphere, and A/C pipes in the water distribution system.

Asbestos in water systems like that of the town of Devine can be extremely dangerous. In fact, studies show that residents exposed to elevated levels of asbestos in water can be placed at risk of developing lung cancer or mesothelioma.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used for commercial purposes such as electrical or building insulation, as well as countless other uses. The microscopic fibers of asbestos can accumulate in a person’s lungs and cause several critical health problems, the worst of which is cancer.

Asbestos Lawsuits

According to many asbestos exposure lawsuits, companies that allow workers to be exposed to asbestos should have been aware of the dangerous nature of their asbestos-containing materials, or as in the case of this Texas town, aware that asbestos in water can lead to serious problems for residents.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with or died from an asbestos related disease such as asbestos mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer, you may be able to file an asbestos lawsuit.