California’s water districts are facing a serious chemical conundrum that could make your wallet weep. Hexavalent chromium, the notorious toxin made famous by the “Erin Brockovich” movie, is lurking in groundwater across the state, and fixing it ain’t gonna be cheap.

Sen. Anna Caballero is stepping up with a bill that could save water utilities from lawsuit hell while they work to clean up their act. Why? Because treating this cancer-causing chemical is going to cost millions, and water districts don’t want to get sued while they’re trying to do the right thing.

The Toxic Truth

Imagine paying double your current water bill just to ensure your tap water doesn’t give you cancer. That’s the reality for places like Coachella Valley, where water districts are looking at a whopping $400 million price tag to meet new state standards.

Small Towns, Big Problems

Take Los Banos, a small city where meeting these standards would cost half their annual budget. Mayor Michael Amabile isn’t thrilled about potentially quadrupling water rates, and who can blame him?

The Fine Print

The new standard allows only 10 parts per billion of hexavalent chromium - basically the equivalent of 10 drops in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. For every 2,000 people drinking this water long-term, one person could develop cancer. Not exactly reassuring, right?

The bill aims to give water districts breathing room while they upgrade infrastructure, protecting ratepayers from skyrocketing costs and potential legal nightmares. Stay tuned, California - your water saga is just getting started.