Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 27, 2008
4. Water Quality –
Water torture continues at Diablo Grande; state cites district for contamination: Chemical used to disinfect drinking supply at resort can raise risk of cancer
By Tim Moran
The Western Hills Water District that serves the Diablo Grande resort development in western
The water delivered to about 350 homes in the development exceeds state limits for trihalomethanes, compounds believed to raise cancer risks.
The Department of Public Health has been concerned about the problem for four years. Changes to the system brought the water district into compliance for about nine months last year, but the trihalomethane levels have risen to unacceptable levels again during the past nine months, according to the Department of Health.
Trihalomethanes occur in drinking water systems as a result of the process of disinfecting the water. The Department of Public Health wants Western Hills Water District to install a filtration system to remove the chemicals that form trihalomethanes after the disinfection process.
Dwain Sanders, Diablo Grande's vice president of development and president of the water district, said the citation from the state is accurate.
"We are in violation. We are working with the state, and we submitted a plan today," Sanders said. Engineers and water system operators are meeting this week to come up with more ideas for resolving the issue, he added.
Residents of Diablo Grande are frightened and frustrated with the problem, said Kristina Ross-Ortiz, who with her husband owns two homes in Diablo Grande, an investment property and their residence.
"We have to use bottled water for drinking and cooking," she said. "There's no way around showering. We are just stuck. We are terrified of getting cancer or having children with birth defects," Ross-Ortiz said.
Showering or bathing is a problem because residents fear inhaling water vapor will mean exposure to trihalomethanes, she said. "I can't put my 2-year-old boy in the bathtub or the pool in the back yard," she said. "It affects every aspect of our life -- making coffee, washing dishes in hot water."
Home prices at Diablo Grande have shrunk to half of what she and her husband paid, Ross-Ortiz said, making it difficult to move. "It makes you think we should just walk away. It comes down to the health of yourself and your family," she said.
Sanders acknowledged that residents were concerned, and said water district officials are as well.
He urged residents to flush water through their plumbing to clear the water before the trihalomethanes can form. "We are not getting enough usage through the system. The biggest thing residents can do is flush," he said.
The water district had proposed an aggressive flushing program using fire hydrants on the system to resolve the problem, but the Department of Health concluded that would be too expensive to sustain and would waste too much water.
As for drinking bottled water, Sanders said some residents do and some don't. "I drink out of the faucet," he said.
The Department of Health citation carries a $1,000 fine and orders the water district to comply with water standards. It spells out a timeline for the water district to get into compliance. Plans for a different disinfectant system should be submitted to the state by Sept. 1, according to the order, and the water district should start using a new filtration system by July 31 as an interim measure. Failure to comply with the deadlines could result in a $1,000 fine per day.
The issue is complicated by the fact that the partnership that owns Diablo Grande is in a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer for the resort development. The systems recommended by the state could cost up to $250,000, according to Shilen Patel, marketing and communications director for
Any new expenditures have to be approved by the Bankruptcy Court. Sanders said he is seeking state grant money to fund the new water treatment equipment.
In an unrelated matter, a custom home builder at the troubled resort has been cited by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board for storm water management problems.
RWHS Diablo Grande, Legends, LLC was cited in a civil liability complaint that carries a $250,000 fine.
The complaint alleges that the subdivision developer didn't adequately control sediment and erosion at the site in January and February, causing sediment-laden storm water to flow onto adjacent wetlands.
The 86-acre subdivision includes 197 lots and is being developed by RW Hertel & Sons. Ron Mazzioti, a former vice president of construction for RW Hertel, said the water board's accusations aren't true.
Mazzioti said he was working for the company when the water went into the wetlands. The sediment in the wetlands reserve happened because of a rainstorm that dumped 4 inches of rain in six hours, Mazzioti said.
"The state water board never did their job. They weren't out there for 30 days after the event. They had no idea whether we implemented erosion control or not," he said. Bob Fowler, an owner of the company, could not be reached Wednesday.
Jack Del Conti, assistant executive officer at the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said RW Hertel has the right to appeal the fine to the water board.#
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/340786.html
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