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(Des Moines, IA) -- Cleanup efforts are underway to remove a dangerous chemical threatening central Iowa's drinking water.
The Environmental Protection Agency says Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is contaminating groundwater at a site near The Raccoon River at Fleur Drive and Bell Avenue.
The site, Lot 46 Valley Gardens in Des Moines, has been added to the EPA's Superfund National Priorities list.
Des Moines Water Works CEO Ted Corrigan says it's not currently a threat and that the water is safe to drink, but its moving off of the site, and in time could become an issue if not taken care of.
The EPA says all drinking water from DMWW meets the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has been monitoring the site since 2004, but the contaminated water has recently been moving toward the Raccoon River, Des Moines' main source of drinking water.
TCE is a known carcinogen which could lead to liver and kidney cancers.
Corrigan says TCE is not naturally occurring and could be the result of industrial businesses dumping solvents such as paint removers and degreasers onto the ground where it then seeps into the water underground.
The EPA is working to come up with a solution.