Potent carcinogen contaminated drinking water used by millions

According to a new nationwide Gallup survey, Americans are really worried about contaminants in their drinking water. Nearly two-thirds of Americans have “a great deal” concern about pollution of tap water, and 57 percent worry “a great deal” about pollution of the nation’s rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Concern hasn’t been this high since 2001.

The worry is well founded Shell Oil Co. and Dow Chemical hid a known cancer-causing substance in two commonly-used pesticides that contaminated the drinking water of millions of people in California, according to lawsuits detailed in a report from the Environmental Working Group earlier this month.