Tap water ban

Diana Balazs The Arizona Republic Jan. 19, 2008 12:00 AM

A ban on drinking tap water remains in effect indefinitely for nearly 5,000 Paradise Valley and Scottsdale customers of Arizona American Water while the company works with government health officials to test water samples for a potentially toxic solvent. The ban, which began Wednesday, urges customers not to drink tap water or use it to prepare food. Arizona American's initial warning was to expire at 5 p.m. Friday but now is indefinite. A suspected cancer-causing agent, trichloroethylene, or TCE, was found at more than four times the maximum level considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It got into the water supply after a malfunction Tuesday at the private company's Miller Road treatment plant in Scottsdale.

The malfunction was not detected until Wednesday, and Arizona American's telephone warning system failed to notify many of its customers. Scottsdale resident Janet Smith is concerned about any potential adverse health effects from drinking the water. "We already made our coffee with it in the morning (Wednesday) and so on and so forth," Smith said. "We already drank some of this stuff." Until the ban is lifted, Smith said she is brushing her teeth with bottled water. "I'm not going to wash my dishes or wash my clothes in this (tap) water," she added. After the problem was detected, a test of the water showed the level to be 22 parts per billion. 5 ppb is the maximum contaminant level allowed. Inquiry sought U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., whose district includes the northeast Valley, has called for the EPA to conduct a full investigation.

Mitchell, a member of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which oversees the EPA, plans to address the situation during a congressional hearing Feb. 7. This is the second incident involving TCE at the same facility in three months, which Mitchell said is not acceptable. In November, samples collected on Oct. 15 showed levels of TCE at 9.2 ppb, nearly twice the allowable federal limit. Arizona American officials said at the time that excessive amounts of TCE did not reach customers' taps. Thursday, it had dropped to 1.9 ppb, within acceptable levels, but more checks of the system are needed.

During a briefing by the EPA Thursday, Mitchell learned that customers may have been exposed to tainted water for as many as 16 hours in the latest incident. The Miller Road plant scrubs TCE from groundwater that was contaminated with the industrial solvent decades ago by area businesses. Todd Walker, an Arizona American spokesman, said a blower malfunctioned Tuesday afternoon and the problem was not detected until a plant operator noticed something was wrong Wednesday morning. Walker said the Miller Road plant is not staffed overnight and instead runs on an automated system.

Water is being treated at the company's main facility in Scottsdale on Cattle Track Road, Walker said. "Our priority is focusing on providing water that's acceptable for consumption as early as possible," Walker said. "We are committed to providing high-quality service." Notifications questioned Residents and Paradise Valley officials are not happy with the company's efforts to notify customers.

Walker apologized for the lack of notification. He said the system was installed about two months ago and was used for the first time in Arizona on Wednesday to issue the tap-water alert. It used a list of phone numbers provided by a third-party vendor that did not include every customer, such as those with unlisted numbers.

Virginia "Jini" Simpson, a member of the Paradise Valley Town Council and an Arizona American customer, said she never got a call. "I want some answers," she said. "We're paying enough for it (water) and we should be notified when there is a safety issue. That's critical." Paradise Valley officials plan to meet with the water company's senior officials to discuss what went wrong.

Private water companies are regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Commissioner Bill Mundell has called for a special open meeting on the matter for Arizona American to provide answers and for the commission to decide what action is needed to protect the public. No date has been set. "This could include the imposition of sanctions and/or the installation of new equipment," Mundell said.