Residents sue after town injects chemical used to treat spas in drinking water

Attorneys have reportedly filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the community members of a small town in the state of South Carolina, where an unapproved chemical was injected into the local drinking water.

Residents of Denmark, a town of about 3,000, have been battling in the courts for years over the injection HaloSan, a chemical used to treat pools and spas, in their local drinking water. The chemical has not been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency to disinfect drinking water, the agency said in a statement, but town officials used the additive to prevent discoloration for 10 years.

The residents were now seeking to include the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control in their class action lawsuit, along with Berry Systems Inc., a local company. Their efforts have drawn national attention as the tainted water supply became an issue along the presidential campaign trail, with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders donating water bottles to the town and organizing a rally in the area to raise awareness.