Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 20, 2007
4. Water Quality
City still baffled by slime in water; The source is somewhere in southern
Woodland Daily Democrat – 4/19/07
Woodland water officials are still chasing leads in an effort to find out who was dumping loads of orange goop into the city's water supply.
Mark Hierholzer, chief plant operator of the Woodland Water Pollution Control Facility, has been trying to get answers since the material was discovered around mid part of February.
The chemical of unknown origin caused damage to the wastewater being treated at the facility, located on County Road 24 east of town. It caused treated water to be more cloudy than normal, which is a violation of the state's Clean Water Act.
Unless the city can rectify the problem it faces a fine from state environmental officials.
Because the damage to the environment and community facility is so great, the city has offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the identification and conviction of the people or company responsible for the purging.
"We're in a lull right now," Hierholzer reported Wednesday. "We're trying to ride this out to see if it happens again."
Hierholzer said water officials have nailed down the source of the substance to an area on the south side of town. He didn't want to be more specific because he doesn't have absolute proof.
"When we know where we're going we'll be able to bulls-eye in on this and get it corrected," Hierholzer said.
For now the pollution has stopped.
The material, described as harmless to humans and wildlife, was an orange-colored substance containing pulpy fragments. The city increased its treatment process since identifying the problem Feb. 13 and of the state's Clean Water Act.
The city treats about 6.8 million gallons of residential and commercial wastewater each day. The wastewater undergoes biological treatments and is released into the adjacent Tule canal, which is used for agricultural irrigation and recreation.
The city reported violating state standards to the water quality control board, which could enforce a maximum fine of $10,000 a day or $10 per gallon of total water treated and discharged into the canal during the time the city was in violation of the Clean Water Act.
However, such a fine is unlikely because of efforts by water quality officials to correct the problem coupled with the city's previous reputation for maintaining appropriate discharge levels.
Whoever is responsible for the material could also end up responsible for paying any fines, penalties and additional costs incurred by the treatment plant. #
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_5704174
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