Based on the experiences of the real Erin Brockovich, played in the film by Julia Roberts, the story follows the efforts of an uneducated, twice-divorced mother of three who spearheads an investigation that leads to the largest payoff ever made in a direct-action lawsuit in the US. The lawsuit hinges on Erin's discovery that the water in the area surrounding a Pacific Gas ft Electricity plant has been tainted with a toxic inhibitor, resulting in a rash of local ail¬ments ranging from chronic nose bleeds to cancer.