Low reservoir level making matters worse

SANTA NELLA – The low water level in San Luis Reservoir is causing problems for the Santa Nella County Water District, which supplies water to residents and businesses in the unincorporated West Side community.

Larry Parlin, director of operations for Environmental Management Services, the firm which operates the water and wastewater treatment systems for the district, said raw water quality is deteriorating as the level of the nearby reservoir falls.

It is a contributing factor to the district’s level of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in the water, which exceeds standards for drinking water, Parlin told the district board at its Jan. 8 meeting.

He said later that the TTHM level in the level is about 50 percent higher than the maximum allowable standard of 80 parts per billion.

Parlin said it is believed that long-term exposure to TTHM may cause certain types of cancer.

“There is not an acute health risk, but the district will rely on guidance from the Department of Health Services to address it,” Parlin told Mattos Newspapers.

He said TTHM is a disinfectant by-product caused when natural organic materials found in the raw water react with chlorine.

“The problem we have now is the raw water quality has become so poor because of the drought conditions. There is more of this material in the water. It is not a problem you have control over,” Parlin told directors.

With raw water quality worsening, the district is also having to increase monitoring and treatment for coliform. That requires chlorination, which in turn contributes to the TTHM problem.

The state is directing the district to move forward with an action plan to address the TTHM problem, but Parlin said cost is going to be an issue regardless of what long-term solution the district settles on.

“It is not a concern with technology, it is a concern with keeping a control on costs. You can do it, but it really boils down to costs,” Parlin reflected. “You can make really bad water really nice for a price, but Santa Nella is not a wealthy community.”

The California Department of Public Health conducted an inspection of the water system in December.

It noted that the district had violated the maximum contaminant levels for TTHM beginning the first quarter of 2008 and was issued a compliance order in late April.

Required quarterly notifications to customers were apparently not issued in the first, second and third quarters.

Interim District Manager Amy Montgomery, who has stepped into the administrative role since the order was issued, said she was unaware of its existence until December, when she discovering it in a file after being contacted by the state agency. She said she was aware of the violation but not of the written report or the required response by the district.

Since finding the report, Montgomery said, she has worked closely with the state to comply with the issues raised – including the issuance of the quarterly reports.

Parlin noted that the district has submitted a pre-application for a grant to help fund the project.

“The health department has recommended that the district look at all options,” he reflected, “but at the end of the day they are all going to cost money.”

Parlin said the district’s older water treatment system does not have all the treatment processes of newer technology, and those limitations are only magnified when trying to treat water of poor quality.

“This is a drought-related concern,” he commented. “When the water level is that low, the quality just degrades.

“We ought to be pretty concerned about this drought,” Parlin cautioned district directors. “There is no rain, and the water supply is dwindling fairly rapidly.”