Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs in natural deposits across North America. Because asbestos fibers are resistant to heat and most chemicals, they have been mined for use in over 3,000 different products, including roofing materials, brake pads, and cement pipe often used in distributing water to communities.

Asbestos fibers may be released from natural sources such as erosion of asbestos-containing ores, but the primary source of asbestos water contamination is through the wastewaters of mining and other industries, and the wear or breakdown of asbestos-containing materials such as cement pipes in water supply systems.

Asbestos is not known to cause any acute health problems when people are exposed to it at levels above the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for relatively short periods of time. Long-term exposure at levels above the MCL has the potential to cause lung disease and cancer when inhaled.