[Water_news] 4. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: WATER QUALITY - 10/5/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

October 5, 2007

 

4. Water Quality

 

Scientists give top Inland marks to Yucaipa, San Timoteo water

Riverside Press Enterprise – 10/4/07

By Jennifer Bowles, staff writer

 

The Inland area's cleanest water is in aquifers below Yucaipa and San Timoteo Canyon. But that's relatively speaking.

 

Federal scientists sampled 99 wells over a vast area from Chino to Hemet to Corona and San Timoteo Canyon for pesticides, industrial solvents, pain relievers such as acetaminophen and even caffeine.

 

According to the preliminary findings by the U.S. Geological Survey, the most widespread chemical was nitrate, which exceeded the state limits in 25 percent of the wells. That water, however, is treated to meet health standards before it is served.

 

Elevated levels of nitrates, generally used in fertilizers, have been linked to a potentially fatal oxygen deficiency known as blue baby syndrome in infants younger than 6 months.

 

Overall, the chemicals found in well water, though some widespread, were for the most part below state limits, said Robert Kent, a hydrologist with the Geological Survey. All water was tested directly from wells before it was treated and piped to the public.

 

That was good news to a region looking to get more from its local supply in the face of shortages from the Colorado River and Northern California.

 

"I believe that groundwater is the future of our supply. We're not going to keep up with the shortages let alone the growth," said John Rossi, general manager of Riverside-based Western Municipal Water District.

 

The study conducted by the federal agency, in partnership with the State Water Resources Control Board, is part of a statewide effort to assess the quality of groundwater, which accounts for 40 percent of California's water supply. The study is being funded by Prop. 50, a bond measure that was passed by voters in 2002.

 

Tests of wells in the Coachella Valley have been completed and a preliminary analysis should be completed within the next six months, said Ken Beltiz, the federal agency's chief of the groundwater assessment program.

 

For the so-called upper Santa Ana watershed, the scientists divided the aquifers into six areas. Of those, the Yucaipa-San Timoteo area fared the best overall, and the Riverside-Arlington-Temescal basins were the most affected by chemicals, Kent said.

 

Most wells throughout the entire area contained at least one so-called volatile organic compound and at least one pesticide, but they were in low concentrations and below state limits, Kent said.

 

Perchlorate, an ingredient of rocket fuel and fireworks, was detected in two-thirds of the wells. The detections in 11 wells were above the state's health standard that will go into effect Oct. 19, Kent said.

 

The study will include a new sampling of some of the wells in three years and again in 10 years. Rossi said that will be helpful in identifying whether local groundwater is getting better or worse. #

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_best05.3d1c621.html

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