Chromium detected in seven private wells serving businesses and one public water supply well in Great Bend, Kansas is not expected to cause harmful health effects, concludes a federal health assessment conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Levels detected in monitoring wells near the Plating Inc. facility indicate that chromium exposures would be of health concern if people were to drill private drinking water wells in this area.
The purpose of the assessment was to review available environmental data to determine whether any harmful health effects could result from exposures to chromium in the groundwater. ATSDR reviewed available sampling data for 11 private wells and four public water supply wells that were tested for chromium in the affected groundwater plume area.
Of the 11 private wells tested, eight serve area businesses and three are domestic wells. Chromium was not detected in the three domestic wells, but it was found in seven of the wells serving area businesses. In the past, two of these wells have exceeded regulatory guidelines. However, these businesses no longer use their wells for drinking water; they are using bottled water instead. Even before the businesses began using bottled water, chromium levels in these two wells were below levels of health concern. The levels of chromium detected in the other five wells serving area businesses were below levels of health concern as well.
Chromium was not detected in three of the four public water supply wells that were sampled during the investigation. Chromium levels in one well are below levels of health concern, and also below levels established in regulatory guidelines for public drinking water.
ATSDR recommends continuing efforts to reduce chromium levels in groundwater, such as monitoring affected private wells, monitoring public water supply wells, and monitoring any additional wells found to be within the chromium plume; continuing to provide bottled water to the two businesses currently receiving bottled water; restricting the installation of private wells for use as a drinking water source in areas within and near the chromium plume; and considering additional efforts to characterize the horizontal and vertical extent of the chromium groundwater plume.
A copy of the health assessment is available at the following location:
Great Bend Library
1409 Williams Street,
Great Bend, KS 67530
For more information, please contact:
- Denise Jordan-Izaguirre, Senior Regional VII Representative at 913-551-1310
- Chris Fletcher, Environment Health Scientist at 770-488-0755
- Donna Chaney, Health Communications Specialist at 770-488-0713, or
Toll-free at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), and ask to speak to someone about the Plating Inc. Site in Great Bend, Kansas.
ATSDR has contacted advised federal, state, and local government agencies of the public health conclusions and recommendations for the Plating Inc. site.
ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.