No one wants to learn they have the “C” word. Health advocacy groups and physicians are constantly educating the public on what will increase one’s chances of getting cancer.

According to a new study, California’s tap water supply could be responsible for 15,000 new cancer diagnoses over a lifetime. Scientists with the Environmental Working Group analyzed water samples from over 2,000 water treatment facilities in the state to assess the level of contaminants in the supply.

Which chemicals could contribute to the highest risks of cancer? Arsenic, radium, and hexavalent chromium (from the Erin Brockovich famous case) are among the worst offenders. Researchers estimated cancer risks by identifying yearly contaminant levels from 2011 to 2015.

According to CNN, the category with the highest risk placed the numbers at over 1 in 1,000 people being diagnosed during their lifetime from drinking tap water. The authors of the study want to dig further into how groups of these chemicals interact together to raise cancer risks.

Further study is required. In the meantime, these scientists urge people to drink filtered tap water or install a filtration system in their homes (if feasible) to lower their risk of ingesting carcinogenic chemicals.

To learn more about the California study and how many water treatment plants serve the state, watch the video below.

Do you live in California and are a regular consumer of tap water? What do you think of this study and its findings on cancer risk?