Investigation for perchlorate contamination begins November 23, 2010 3:40 PM

Investigation for perchlorate contamination begins
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Flushing process damages apartment
November 23, 2010 3:40 PM
By KAREN JONAS, staff writer

BARSTOW • An investigation into the source of the chemical contamination of the water in Barstow began Tuesday as the costs continued mounting for the city and the water flushing left one local woman unable to enter her apartment.

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board started investigations on Tuesday into the source of the perchlorate contamination, said Harold Singer, executive officer for the Lahontan Water Board.

Golden State Water Company notified Barstow residents on Friday afternoon that the levels of the chemical perchlorate were higher than the maximum contaminant levels set by the state. Some residents were notified on Sunday and Monday that they could begin drinking tap water again, but the majority of residents were still told to drink bottled water until further notice.

Singer said that it could take months to find the source of the contamination and there was a possibility that the board would be unable to locate the source. The board sent out three teams on Tuesday to sample private wells in an area near the contaminated GSWC well.

The results should be available sometime on Wednesday, said Singer. He said the investigation would attempt to locate both the source and the location of the plume of contaminated water.

One resident was forced to vacate her apartment on Tuesday because the water flushing washed out a retaining wall, which weakened the foundation of the single residence building.

The water system was being flushed in order to bring down the perchlorate levels in Barstow’s water. Water hydrants were opened and water poured down the streets and into storm drains. Mark Murphy, emergency coordination manager for the city of Barstow said the perchlorates in the water flushed down storm drains would eventually wind up in the Mojave River basin, where it would be diluted with the much larger pool of water.

Colleen Davis lives in the affected apartment in the 400 block of West Fredericks Street. She noticed that her retaining wall had collapsed on Monday afternoon and was told later that afternoon that her home had been red-tagged and could not be occupied.

Davis was worried about her cats on Tuesday morning and called Barstow’s building department for permission to go inside in order to feed them.

Davis has been a resident of Barstow for 39 years and has lived in her apartment for two years. She said that her landlord is currently paying for her to stay at a motel and hopes to move into a vacant apartment at the same property soon.

“It’s kind of unnerving,” said Davis. “I’m not used to something like this.”

The real estate company that rents out the property said Tuesday they would not be able to comment on the issue until they had spoken to both the renter and the City of Barstow.

Mark Murphy, the emergency coordination manager for the city, estimated that the city had spent well over $100,000 as of Monday since the water crisis began on Friday. Murphy said that $52,000 of the money spent was on bottled water for residents that had been ordered on Friday.

Murphy said that GSWC has been providing all of the bottled water to residents since noon on Saturday. He estimated that a total of 200,000 gallons had been given out by both the water company and the city.

Rebecca Long, community customer service representative for GSWC, said that about 200,000 bottles of water in various sizes had been given out by the water company.

Murphy said that the state will most likely be reimbursing most of the funds to the city because Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency. Murphy said that the city will most likely recover about 75 percent of the money spent that it has spent during the emergency.


Residents in the following areas can begin drinking tap water again after flushing their water systems:
• Residents living south of Interstate 15 and west of D Street.
• Residents living north of Interstate 15 and west of H Street/Avenue H.
• All residents living north of the Mojave River.

Flushing procedure
1. Flush all hot and cold water taps for five minutes.
2. Flush all hot water into bathtub or shower until it turns cold.
3. Remove all ice from any ice makers.