The South Carolina Environmental Law Project is calling for the state’s health agency to require the regular inspection of storage tanks to protect drinking water, following an Uncovered investigation.

Without that change, residents in the state could be exposed to “illness-causing” water from their taps, the law firm said in a petition, which it filed on behalf of concerned residents and organizations.

The proposal would require the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to force public systems to examine the inside of water tanks every year and report their findings. If contaminants are found, SCELP suggested the tanks be cleaned within six months.