For Immediate Release: September 2, 2020
Media
Contact: Soledad Calvino, 415-972-3512, calvino.maria@epa.gov
U.S. EPA
Orders Water Utility in Kern County to Reduce Arsenic in Drinking
Water
NORTH EDWARDS, Calif. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recently ordered North Edwards Water District to address ongoing
arsenic violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The California’s
State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water
(DDW) referred the system to EPA for enforcement.
"A number of smaller drinking water systems in the
Central Valley struggle to provide consistently safe drinking water,” said EPA Pacific
Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud.
“EPA will work closely with this Kern County system to ensure its 600
customers have the benefit of alternative drinking water until the
North Edwards Water District can supply water safe to drink."
The North Edwards Water District system serves
approximately 600 residents through more than 200 connections. The
system's current source of drinking water is groundwater from two
wells.
Arsenic, a naturally occurring mineral found throughout
the United States, can be found in groundwater. Drinking high levels
of arsenic over many years can increase the risk of lung, bladder,
and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes, and
neurological damage. Arsenic also inhibits the body’s ability to
fight off cancer and other diseases.
As part of EPA’s order, North Edwards Water District
must comply with the arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10
micrograms per liter no later than April 30, 2023. The system has
been serving water with arsenic levels above the MCL since at least
2013.
The District must provide a compliance plan by the end
of October 2020 outlining how it will comply with the arsenic MCL
standard. North Edwards Water District is also required to provide
EPA with quarterly progress reports and participate in quarterly
meetings with EPA and California DDW on its progress towards
compliance. The District has applied for funding from the California
State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Financial
Assistance to provide residents with alternative water until the
system complies with federal and state drinking water
requirements.
EPA will continue to monitor North Edwards Water
District’s efforts to provide safe drinking water and may levy
penalties if the utility fails to meet the compliance provisions in
the order.
For more information on EPA's drinking water program,
please visit: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific
Southwest Region.

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