NORMAN'S arsenic water levels

Could your drinking water put your health at risk? A new study published in Scientific American shows people in Norman may have cause for concern. <br><br>A study of all of the country's large municipal

Tuesday, June 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Could your drinking water put your health at risk? A new study published in Scientific American shows people in Norman may have cause for concern.

A study of all of the country's large municipal water systems says Norman has the highest average levels of arsenic in the nation. The current EPA standard for arsenic in drinking water is 50-parts per billion. Norman's is well below that, at 10-parts per billion, which has city leaders confused. They say the article is way out of line. Norman director of utilities, Brad Gambill says, "we have written a letter to Governor Whitman of the EPA and asked for clarification of where they got the numbers that are being quoted for Norman." Still, In an effort to show just how serious they are about safe water, six months ago the city shut off eleven of its 31-wells that were producing higher arsenic levels.