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Kansas reportedly allowed hundreds of residents to consume water contaminated by cleaning chemicals for years.
But the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) did not investigate further for six years, The Wichita Eagle reported on Sunday.
After discovering the presence of pollutants, the department did not test nearby private wells or alert residents that their water could be contaminated with Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PCE, the publication reported.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Effects resulting from acute (short term) high-level inhalation exposure of humans to tetrachloroethylene include irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, kidney dysfunction, and neurological effects such as reversible mood and behavioral changes, impairment of coordination, dizziness, headache, sleepiness, and unconsciousness.
The KDHE found contamination in 2009 but did not sample nearby private wells until 2014.
Since 1995, when the bill was passed, the number of dry cleaning locations known to be contaminated has increased from 14 to 163, even though the state is not actively searching for more sites.
The KDHE says it is doing what it can with the money it receives.
"There’s never going to be enough money to do everything at once, so we have to prioritize.
Almost 21 million people depended on water systems that did not comply with quality standards in 2015, according to a study from the National Academy of Sciences.